My Heart
by Blue-Winter-Angel
Summary: Amber is in her fourth year at Hogwarts; and this year is going to be the one that changes everything. The Triwizard Tournament is underway, and Amber must be on her guard at all times. When love finds her, she realizes what she can't live without. - Soon to be edited and rewritten.
1. Dreams, Boys and Portkey's

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BWA: Hey there! Welcome back! It's great to see you.  
Emmett: It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to My Heart!  
BWA: -Giggles- Indeed, this is the sequel to "A Full Moon," so if you haven't read that, or the prequels, I suggest that you do. Otherwise, this is going to be quite confusing.  
Amber: -Squeals- This is so exciting!  
BWA: Isn't it? For those of you that have been following the series, I'm sorry that this took so long.  
Cedric: We didn't mean it!  
BWA: Yes, Cedric has finally decided to join us.  
Cedric: Hey, I wasn't able to talk in here for the last few stories because I wasn't in them.  
BWA: Hmm.. I'll give you that. Oh! For those of you that are wondering why the heck Emmett is here.. well, he sort of stalks me; he's in all of my author notes. He doesn't know how to stay in his own section.  
Emmett: Baha!  
BWA: Besides, he's my partner in crime. Most people are used to him by now.  
Emmett: -Shrugs- You learn to love me.  
BWA: It's not hard, you're so freaking adorable.  
Emmett: Why thank you.  
Amber: -Bounces- Can we get on with the story now?  
BWA: Sure, why not. Have fun!

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_Chapter one  
Dreams, Boys and Portkey's  
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It's incredible to see how fast and how drastically a life can change.

Take mine for example.

My first year at Hogwarts, I was just a normal kid, but when I reached my second year… Things started to change. I could hear things that others couldn't, then, in my third year, everything made sense.

I was the child of the old legend of the infamous "Silver Phoenix," it gave me abilities that I didn't even think were possible to have. It's changed my life.

But, in a way, I'm still the same. I still have Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George. My abilities are slowly beginning to mature though… which means they're getting stronger, more complex. But I've had enough training to know how to keep them under control.

Still… it's pretty freaky.

--

"Amber Isabelle Dawson!" Molly Weasley gushed as I stepped through the threshold into the Weasley house with Mum and Dad in tow. "Look at you! You grow more beautiful every time I see you!"

I blushed and looked down at my feet as Mum and Dad laughed from behind me, I was fourteen now, and I'll admit, I looked a little different.

I now stood at 5'8 and my hair had grown a little longer, I still had my ringlets, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was stuck with them. I had filled out even more, much to my embarrassment and Mum's amusement. My waist was more curved than before and my features were sharper.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley, it's nice to see you, too." I mumbled.

I looked up and smiled as a pair of thunderous footfalls raced down the staircase, Fred and George coming into view a few seconds later. Large grins spread across their faces when they saw me, and I all but sprinted across the room to hug them both.

Fred and George were like brothers to me, and I loved them dearly.

"Hey there, kid," Fred said with a smile, "You're still growing, huh?"

"Give her a few more years and she'll be taller than you," George teased, causing a new round of play fighting between the two boys as they raced to another part of the house. I turned back to see Mum and Dad talking to Mrs. Weasley, parents could talk for hours.

"Hello there, Miss Dawson," The familiar voice of Mr. Weasley greeted and I smiled when the tall man came into view. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm good, thank you, Mr. Weasley."

"Look at how much she's grown, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley gushed once again.

"I can see, sweetheart." He looked down at me with a cheeky glint in his eye. "You certainly have grown, Amber."

I laughed and waved a hand dismissively, grinning from ear to ear when Hermione walked through the front door, she smiled back at me and we embraced each other with enthusiasm.

"It's great to see you!" I laughed.

She nodded, "I know, it's been too long!"

Conversation sparked up easily after that until Mrs. Weasley spoke, "Hermione? Would you be a dear and wake Harry and Ron up for me, tell them that breakfast is ready."

She smiled, "Of course."

"Hold on," I called, "I'll come with you."

Mum looked at her watch, "I think it's about time we left, too. We have things to do today."

Mrs. Weasley smiled, "That's alright, it was good seeing you again Kyla, you too Jason."

I walked over to my parents and embraced them both before they left, then I raced up the stairs with Hermione. Both of us talking animatedly as we went. Hermione asked how my abilities were holding up and such until we reached Ron's room where I could tell that something wasn't right.

"Hermione, stay here for a moment, okay?" She nodded and stayed put as I opened the door. My head tilted to the side as I took in Harry's form, thrashing about on his bed. I took a few cautious steps forward before I blinked, my sight changing as soon as my eyes opened.

I wasn't sure how much of this dream I'd missed, but it would have had to have been terrifying to get such a reaction out of Harry. I watched his dream through my blue tinted eyes with curiosity.

_Murmured, rushed voices could be heard from the end of the old, dusty, cobweb filled hallway, the end room was lit by a single light and the conversation seemed to dance around the person in the chair by the door._

"_Oh no, no, my Lord Voldemort," The familiar voice of Wormtail reasoned. "I only meant… perhaps, if we do it… without the boy…"_

"_NO!" The frail, weak voice that supposedly belonged to Voldemort shouted, although it sounded like a hoarse whisper. "The boy is everything! It cannot be done without him! And it will be done! Exactly as I said!"_

_Another man suddenly rushed into view and kneeled next to the arm of the chair. "I will not disappoint you, my Lord." He promised._

"_Good," the weak voice praised. "First, gather our old comrades, send them a sign." The gaze suddenly shifted downwards to reveal a snake slithering past; a rather large snake at that. A high pitched, feminine string of hisses and strangled wording echoed throughout the room before the weak voice spoke again. "Nagini tells me, the old Muggle caretaker is standing just outside the door."_

_Wormtail appeared in the doorway, grinning evilly._

"_Step aside, Wormtail," The voice ordered, "So I can give our guest, a proper greeting." _

_My ears rang uncomfortably but I was able to make out the shouted words of "Avada Kedavra!" before a green light shot out and the dream ended._

With a gasp, my own sight returned and I staggered backwards, leaning my back against the wall. I could feel sweat trickle down my forehead as my emerald eyes flicked around the room, adrenaline coursing through my veins as my inherited instincts kicked in.

Hermione walked past me, noticing my reaction and started shaking the thrashing teenager. "Harry, Harry!" She lowered her voice when he woke and stared at her with wide eyes, "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Hermione," He gasped, "Bad dream. When did you get here?" He asked, propping himself onto his elbows after he had put his glasses on.

"Just now, Amber's been here not much longer. You?" She asked as Harry's gaze flicked to me and I smiled slightly, already back to normal.

"Last night," He replied.

"Wake up, Wake up Ronald!" Hermione hissed, leaning over Ron to wake him. His eyes snapped open and he pulled his blanket up, as if to hide from her. "Bloody hell…"

"Honestly," She complained, "Get dressed, and don't go back to sleep. Come on, Ron! Your mother says breakfast's ready."

I looked away from Hermione to see Harry with his hand on his scar, it must be burning.

"Harry," I whispered, tilting my head to the side when he looked at me, "I saw… the dream, I mean… What was that all about?"

He sat up and rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, I really don't know."

I shrugged, "Oh well, we'll figure it out another time, right now, we have breakfast to eat." With that, I stood up straight and walked to the door, "Hurry up, boys." I sang, walking out into the crisp morning air. I pulled my jacket closer to my body and watched as the sun slowly began to rise over the hills.

* * *

Once breakfast had been eaten and bags had been gathered, we were off. Wandering through the forest, following Mr. Weasley.

"Ron, where are we actually going?" I heard Harry ask from where I was walking with Fred and George.

"I dunno," He replied. "Hey Dad!" He shouted, "Where are we going?"

"Haven't the foggiest," He called in response. "Keep up!"

"That sounds promising," I remarked, earning some quiet laughter.

As we walked closer to our supposed destination, I went silent. I didn't hear the conversation between Mr. Weasley and another gentleman, all I could focus on, was a sudden tugging sensation, trying to pull me upwards into the tree we were standing next to. I shook my head rapidly, as if to clear my body of the strange feeling. When the tugging feeling quickly dropped to ground level, my eyes lifted from where they had slipped to stare at my feet. The sight I was met with made my breath catch in my throat.

"And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?" I heard Mr. Weasley ask.

"Yes, sir." The boy replied.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The boy standing next to Mr. Weasley's friend who for some reason I recalled to be Amos Diggory, I must have been listening after all… Which means that his son was Cedric Diggory… The Huffelpuff seeker.

But that's not what caught my attention.

What did were his features.

His jaw was perfectly outlined, his nose was straight and his lips were full and were a light shade of pink. His hair was a medium brown with a bronze tint to it, but what amazed me most were his eyes. They were a beautiful blue-ish green. The same boy from my dream.

This was him!

When his gorgeous eyes flicked to me my heart kicked into double time, I saw his eyes widen slightly before he looked away and turned around, following Mr. Weasley. After taking a deep, shaky breath, I followed.

I don't know how long we walked for after that, but we ended up on a hill, we had a beautiful view of the sunrise. The warm light felt good on my skin.

"Yes, it's just over there!" Mr. Diggory shouted and I smiled as Ginny raced towards the old boot on the very top of the hill.

"Shall we?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Oh yes! Get yourself into a good position," Mr. Diggory instructed as we made our way towards the peak.

"Why are they all standing around that manky old boot?" Harry asked.

"That isn't just any manky, old boot, mate." Fred began.

"It's a Portkey," George finished.

"Time to go!" Mr. Weasley shouted as Fred, George and I placed our hands on said boot.

"Ready? On three!" Mr. Diggory shouted, "One. Two!"

"Harry!" Mr. Weasley shouted, and Harry grabbed the boot just as three was shouted.

I squealed in delight as we started spinning rapidly, my hair blew around my face but I couldn't care less, I felt so exhilarated!

"Let go, kids!" Mr. Weasley shouted after the scenery had changed, we were in the middle of a portal.

"_What?_" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Let go!"

"Come on!" I shouted, releasing my grip on the boot and tumbling to the ground. I twisted this way and that as I fell, when the ground rushed up to meet me I twisted my body just right so that I landed in a crouch, my head spun and I giggled merrily. My laughter increased as I watched the others crash to ground, the air being pushed out of their lungs in unison.

I stood up and watched as Cedric, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory floated into view, kicking their legs as if they were walking.

"I'll bet that cleared your sinuses. Eh?"

I spun around in a circle and giggled some more, "Let's do it again!" I cried, earning some cheerful laughter.

As we walked up and over the hill we'd landed on, my excitement grew and overflowed as we walked into a large expanse of land, full of tents and people.

"Well, kids, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!"

We passed some incredible things as we walked around, people racing around on broomsticks, people juggling things without actually touching them and things I'd never even seen before!

When the two fathers parted ways, I looked up and locked eyes with Cedric again, he smiled timidly and I couldn't help but smile back, my cheeks flooding with red. Fred ruffled my hair after they'd left.

"Ah," I heard Mr. Weasley sigh as we stopped in front of a tiny little tent. "Home sweet home."

The twins and I shared a look before we walked inside.

It was huge!

There were all different separate rooms, a kitchen, a dining room and all sorts of other things. Fred picked me up and plonked me down onto the table as he and George sat on chairs by my sides, kicking their feet up.

"Ron, get out of the kitchen, we're all hungry!" Mr. Weasley warned.

"Yeah, get out of the kitchen, Ron." The three of us shouted in unison.

"Feet off the table," He whined as he walked past us.

"Feet off the table!" We echoed.

This was going to be fun.

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**BWA: Ta-da! -Throws confetti- What do you think?  
Emmett: Woo! That's all I have to say.  
BWA: -Giggles- Well, the mystery man has finally been revealed! Yes! It was Cedric Diggory that starred in Amber's dreams.  
Cedric: -Poses-  
Amber: -Takes a photo- I'm so selling this on Ebay.  
BWA: So it begins... Anyway! Never fear because there is more to come. Things are going to get very strange for our lovable young Amber.  
Amber: Aw crap.  
BWA: Eh, you'll be okay.  
Amber: How do you know?  
BWA: -Taps her temple- I just do.  
Emmett: As always, reviews make for faster updates, and lots of smiles!  
BWA: It's true, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this so far. -Smiles- Anyway, I think we've gone on for long enough.  
Emmett: Do we have to go?  
BWA: Yeah, but we'll be back again for chapter two.  
Emmett: Oh yeah.  
Cedric: Why do I have an uncanny resemblence to Robert Pattinson?  
Emmett: I don't know.. but it's creeping me out.  
BWA: -Slaps forehead- Okay, we'll let you go now.  
Emmett: Bye!**

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	2. Burning

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BWA: Hiya! Welcome back!  
Emmett: It's time for the Quidditch World Cup. Which colour did you choose? Green or Red?  
Amber: I'm still recovering from the injuries inflicted by this chapter.  
BWA: Indeed, something major happens to Amber in this chapter. -Grins-  
Amber: Mmm..  
Emmett: Thanks to our first reviewers! MissNickyTwilight and Ali92.  
BWA: Yes! A big, big thank you. The two of you made my day. Hugs to the two of you. (and an extra big hug and a game of tag for my sister, Nicky.)  
Emmett: Ready to read? Huh? Huh? Are you?  
Cedric: -Whines- Yessss!  
BWA: -Giggles- Okay, okay. Go on and enjoy chapter two.  
Emmett: Woo!

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_**Chapter two  
Burning**_

"Blimey, Dad!" Ron cried, slightly breathless as we walked up countless flights of stairs to our seats. "How far up are we?"

"Well, let's put it this way," A nasally voice interrupted, oh no… "If it rains, you'll be the first to know."

I looked down to see none other than Lucius and Draco staring up at us, and I wasn't about to put up with them.

"Then let's put your seats into perspective, shall we?" I asked, smiling slightly, "If I drop a hard object from where we're sitting… Your head will be the first to find out about it."

Fred snorted.

"Father and I are in the Minister's Box," Malfoy bragged, "By personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself!"

Lucius stopped and poked Malfoy's stomach with his pole thingy. "Don't boast, Draco." He scolded, "There's no need with these people."

I growled quietly.

When we went to turn around, Lucius rested his pole thingy on Harry's foot, "Do enjoy yourself, won't you? While you can…" I snarled at him which made him lift the thing from Harry's foot.

After the minor upset, we continued walking until we were right up the top. I tipped my head back as we were greeted by the cool air and took a deep breath, smiling as it cooled my throat.

"Come on up! Take your seats!" Mr. Diggory shouted, "I told you these seats would be worth waiting for!"

I wandered out in front of the others, my eyes flicking all over the place, taking in the giant stadium. When I turned my head to the right I saw Cedric, who was standing next to me, studying my face. I smiled and his cheeks tinted pink before he looked away. I rested my hands on the railing as the others came in; we were all packed close together, so my arm was resting along the length of Cedric's. Causing an unexpected shock of electricity to run across the skin that was in contact with his. I wasn't sure if he felt it… But I did.

Ron was about to take a photo from my left when a bunch of green cloaked players zoomed over out heads, causing me to squeal and duck my head. I heard Cedric laugh and the sound made me laugh as well.

"It's the Irish!" George shouted.

I watched in amazement as fireworks went off before the sparks turned into a leprechaun who danced about in the moonlit sky.

I shot a look down at my friends who were either wearing red or green, I couldn't choose so I had an I written on my left cheek in green and then a B written on my right cheek in red.

"Here come the Bulgarians!" Fred screamed.

"Oh yeah!"

The red cloaked players flew straight through the sparkly man, causing him to explode in a flash of red. One particular player flew ahead of the rest, doing all sorts of tricks.

"Who's that?" Ginny asked, having to shout above the roar of the crowd.

"That, sis, is the best seeker in the world," Fred answered.

When the seekers name came up we shouted it in unison. "KRUM!"

Once the cheering had finally calmed down, a voice echoed out from somewhere or other. "Good evening," It greeted, "As Minister for Magic," Oh, it was Fudge. "It gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the four-hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup. Let the match begin!"

With that, the players jumped into motion.

* * *

I watched as Fred and George danced around like idiots, singing along to the violin that was playing an Irish tune outside. While the twins danced, Ron shouted "Krum," as much as he could, still standing up for his team.

"There's no one like Krum!" Ron began, capturing our attention.

"Krum?" Fred asked.

"Dumb Krum." George teased in a cave-man voice.

"He's like a bird the way he rides the wind," Ron continued, ignoring Fred and George as they flapped madly around him, "He's more than an athlete, he's an artist!"

"I think you're in love, Ron." Ginny teased, walking past.

"Shut up," Ron grumbled.

"Victor, I love you," George sang.

"Victor I do," Fred joined.

"When we're apart my heart beats only for you." We all sang.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on," George stated when a loud bang sounded from outside.

"Stop!" Mr. Weasley called, breaking up the pillow fight between Fred and Ron, "Stop it!" When the room fell silent, he spoke again, "It's not the Irish… We've got to get out of here. Now!"

When we ran outside, we were greeted with the most horrific thing I've ever seen.

Fire blazed in all directions, people were running for their lives, screaming as they went while a group of masked wizards trudged through the area, green beams of light shot out in all directions, blowing things up.

"Get back to the Portkey everybody," Mr. Weasley shouted, "And stick together! Fred, George! Ginny's your responsibility!"

I didn't take notice of when the others ran off, as long as they were safe was all that mattered. I had to see what was going on… why this was happening.

I broke out into a sprint, my legs pushing me forward as I ducked under fallen objects. My eyes were their dangerous bright blue as I ran. I kept at a decent pace behind the so called "Death Eaters," watching as they destroyed one thing after another. A low snarl passed my lips but the sound was lost in the chaos of the moment.

What I wasn't expecting was the large explosion that went off right behind me, I looked up as the fire erupted and the heat rolled against my back, a small portion of the Death Eaters were staring at me, pointing and shouting.

Another ball of fire shot towards me and I leapt to the side to avoid it, tripping on something in the process and slamming my head against the ground.

The screams died down as I sank into darkness.

* * *

I woke up to dead silence.

My head throbbed uncomfortably; I raised my hand to my cheek only to feel the sore skin of a bruise that was already healing, thanks to my abilities. I shook the debris off of my back and rose up into a crouch, hiding behind a few fallen pieces of wood.

A low crash sounded in my ears and I looked up to see a man walking around, kicking objects out of his way, even with my clear eye-sight he looked murky in the surrounding fog and clearing smoke.

He slowed to a stop and pointed his wand to the sky, I watched in curiosity as he shouted an incantation and a low beam of light shot up into the air. When it exploded, a large mark was left in the sky; it was of a skull with a snake for a tongue. I stared at it for a few moments, trying to figure out the connection between that mark and the unfamiliar man.

When I heard movement to my right, my head whipped around to see Harry, propped up on his elbows, staring at the strange man. My eyes widened as the stranger began to rush towards Harry, and in a desperate movement to see who he was and what he wanted, I looked through his eyes.

As soon as I saw Harry from a different angle, tinted with blue, excruciating pain shot through my entire body, a pain that I had never felt before. It felt like I was being stabbed, burnt and electrocuted all at once. My eyes stung uncomfortably and the amount of pain that shot from my head to my toes forced a blood-curdling scream past my lips as I curled in on myself, trembling as the unfamiliar sight faded away.

The unexpected noise caught the attention of the stranger before he turned and fled. Ron and Hermione's frantic voices reached my ears as I ran to Harry's side, he had managed to get up and run back a few metres.

"Harry! Amber!" Ron gasped, "We've been looking for you two for ages. We thought we'd lost you."

It was then that Harry looked skywards and saw the strange green mark. He hissed and pressed his fingers to his scar.

When the sound of rushing air reached my ears I whirled around to see a group of men and women aiming their wands at us.

"Stupefy!"

We all crouched down and huddled together as the spell exploded above our heads.

"Stop!" Mr. Weasley's familiar voice shouted. "That's my son!" He pushed past the group and helped us up. "Ron, Harry, Hermione, Amber, are you alright?"

"We came back for Harry and Amber," Ron explained.

"Which one of you conjured it?" A high pitched voice demanded, I looked up to see a man with a freaky moustache glaring at us. My lips pulled back from my teeth minutely, I didn't like him… He tried to hurt us.

"Crouch, you can't possibly…" Mr. Weasley began.

"You've been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Crime?" Harry asked.

"Barty, they're just kids." Mr. Weasley reasoned.

"What crime?" Harry asked again.

"It's the Dark Mark, Harry." Hermione whispered. "It's _his _mark."

"Voldemort?" Harry asked. "Those people tonight, in the masks… they're his too, aren't they? His followers?"

Mr. Weasley nodded, "Death Eaters."

"Follow me," The man known as Crouch ordered.

"Um, there was a man!" Harry shouted, causing the group to stop.

"I saw him, too." I added, stepping forward.

"Before," Harry gasped, looking to me for conformation. "There!"

"All of you," Crouch called. "This way!"

"A man, kids?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Who?"

"I don't know…" Harry replied as I shrugged. "I didn't see his face."

I looked over my shoulder at that strange mark again, feeling my stomach twist in discomfort.

When my abilities had begun to mature, I'd sent a letter to Lupin, keeping my promise of letting him know when anything changed. The letter I'd got back from him was insanely long, one particular detail stood out at this point in time.

He'd said that, now that my abilities were maturing, I would be more sensitive to Dark Magic or anyone associated with it. If I tried to see through them I would feel uncontrollable, excruciating pain. Because the Silver Phoenix was such a pure creature, any Dark Magic would send it toppling to the ground, writhing in pain.

I felt like an idiot for overlooking it.

* * *

"Anything from the trolley? Anything from the trolley?"

I looked up when the old lady with the Candy trolley stopped at out cabin.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?"

I didn't want anything, so I simply went for staring back out the window, watching the hills flow by. Bella chirped happily on my shoulder and I smiled, nuzzling my nose into her soft feathers as she nipped at my hair.

"This is horrible," Hermione said, looking down at the newspaper she held in her hands. I turned my head to look at her. "How could the Ministry not know who conjured it? Wasn't there any security… or…"

"Loads," Ron replied, "According to Dad. That's what worried them so much."

"All I know is that whoever _did _conjure it has been in touch with some serious Dark Magic." I explained, "I haven't felt pain like that ever before in my life."

I'd told the others about my strange new quirks now that my abilities were maturing, Hermione found it fascinating… as usual.

"It's hurting again isn't it?" Hermione asked, I turned to look at Harry who was rubbing his forehead. "Your scar."

"I'm fine," He replied.

Nevertheless, Hermione leaned forward, "You know Sirius will want to hear about this." She explained, "What you saw at the World Cup, and the dream."

With a sigh, Harry surrendered and wrote a letter, I helped fill in the bits that he missed, the things that I saw. Sirius knew just as much about my abilities as Lupin, so it was only fair that he knew as well.

Once Hedwig had flown off, Harry relaxed into the chair. I smiled and rested my hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Harry."

He smiled, "Yeah… let's hope so."

* * *

**Emmett: Ooooooooh.  
BWA: Well... What do you think? Like it?  
Amber: It huuuurt.  
BWA: I'm sorry, but it had to be done.  
Amber: Yeah, yeah.  
BWA: Anyway, now you know what Dark Magic does to Amber. Spooky, huh?  
Emmett: What happens next?  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Like I'd tell you? .... Okay, well, I probably will.. But not right now.  
Emmett: Aww.  
Cedric: Well, since we've gone completely blank when it comes to a topic of conversation, we'll let you go.  
BWA: Mm. Now, you know the drill; click on the little review button and show us some love, because we'll show it right back.  
Emmett: -Throws love-  
Amber: -Gasp- Where did you get that love?  
Emmett: ...The kitchen.  
Amber: How the heck does that work?  
Emmett: -Shrugs-  
Cedric: Let's go spead some love.  
BWA: Okay, well, it looks like we've found something to do, so we'll be heading off now. We'll see you again real soon!  
Emmett: -Throws more love- Bye!**

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	3. Unease

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BWA: Hey there!  
Emmett: I remember you!  
Amber: Welcome to chapter three!  
BWA: Mmm, here is where the drama starts to sneak in.  
Fred and George: Oooooooh.  
BWA: Well.. anyone got anything interesting to say, because I sure don't..  
Emmett: Uh..  
Cedric: -Scratches head-  
Amber: -Hiccups-  
Harry: -Eats an ice cream-  
Hermione: -Reads-  
Ron: -Stares blankly into space-  
BWA: Wow.. what a lively bunch, huh? - Giggles- Alright, well, enough of our stupidity for now.  
Emmett: Onward!

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_Chapter three  
Unease_

The commotion at Hogwarts was insane; everyone was racing to get a good view of something… I didn't know what they were looking at until Fred and George lifted me up and perched my small frame on their shoulders.

A carriage was being pulled through the air by a bunch of horses, with wings, of course. Hagrid was guiding them towards the ground but he had to dive out of the way when it got too close.

"Well," George began, "There's something you don't see everyday!"

I laughed.

Our gazes shifted when someone pointed to a tiny little boat floating along on the Black Lake, but without notice, it shot out of the water, it wasn't a little boat at all, it was a massive ship!

I wasn't expecting that.

* * *

"Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement." Dumbledore began. "This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well." I watched in confused amusement as Mr. Filch jogged past us. "You see, Hogwarts has been chosen…" He trailed off as Filch whispered frantically before turning and running back the way he had come. "So," Dumbledore began again. "Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Triwizard Tournament!"

I straightened up at the mentioning of such a new thing.

"Now, for those of you who don't know," He explained, "The Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if chosen, you stand _alone_." His voice dropped to a lower, dangerous tone, full of unspoken warnings. "And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later," Then he perked back up again. "For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress, Madame Maxine."

We all turned to the doors to see a group of young girls all dressed in blue silk, I watched in curiosity as they walked into the hall, swinging their arms gracefully and sighing in unison. They made me think of sirens…

When they kicked up into a run, Ron stared at their behinds, of course.

"Bloody hell."

They stopped again and silvery blue butterflies flitted out from nowhere and floated about in the air.

Fred nudged my ribs with his elbow, and I looked up to see a giant woman walking down the hallway. She made Hagrid look… normal.

The twins looked down at me as I giggled quietly from where I sat in between them.

The large room exploded with applause, mainly from the male population, I clapped lazily.

"And now, our friends from the North!" Dumbledore began as the crowd quieted. "Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their High master, Igor Karkaroff."

The boys' from Durmstrang were very serious and their greeting was very full on. They banged sticks against the floor, allowing sparks to shoot out from the friction before they swung them wildly and raced down the hall, flipping and dancing and such as they went.

"Blimey, it's him." Ron whimpered as another male walked past. "Viktor Krum!"

I gasped as a large fire dragon roared and exploded in a bright flash of light.

Silence followed.

* * *

"So, Amber… get up to anything interesting over the holidays?" George asked as I popped a piece of food into my mouth, I swallowed before I spoke.

"Nothing more than the usual," I replied before a high pitched squeal passed my lips as Fred tickled my sides. Dammit! I should never have told them I was ticklish.

A large number of eyes flicked to me as the twins exploded with laughter. My cheeks flushed and I looked up to see Cedric staring at me with a curious yet humoured expression. As soon as our eyes met, neither could look away. He seemed to hold me there, captive in the alluring depth of his brilliant eyes. He smiled warmly and I felt my lips pull up into a cheeky half-smile. He seemed to chuckle to himself before he looked away.

"Your attention please!" Dumbledore shouted, bringing silence across the Great Hall. "I'd like to say a few words," He continued. "Eternal glory; that is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."

"Wicked," Fred and George whispered in unison as my head tipped to the side.

"For this reason, the Ministry have seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation; Mr. Bartimous Crouch."

It was then that a loud rumble of thunder and the strange static-y noise of lightening pierced the air, my lips pulled back to reveal my glistening white teeth as a snarl tore up my throat, screams and complaints echoed around me as rain fell but never hit us.

When a shimmering beam of light split the sudden dark storm clouds above out heads, I shook from head to toe, regaining my composure. Fred grabbed my hand as I looked at the strange man who'd just walked in.

"Bloody hell," I heard Ron whisper, I turned my head towards him. "That's Mad-Eye Moody."

"Alistair Moody?" Hermione asked, "The Auror?"

"Auror?" Dean asked in response, looking at us in confusion.

"Dark Wizard catcher," Ron mumbled, "Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him. Supposed to be mad as a hatter though, these days."

We watched as he quickly greeted Dumbledore before standing next to the wall, he cringed slightly and took a swig from his flask.

"What's that he's drinking, do you suppose?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think its Pumpkin Juice." Harry replied.

I arched my neck to get a good look as Mr. Crouch stood awkwardly in front of the three schools; he held his arms out in a strange way that confused me.

"After due consideration," He began in a nervous voice, as if anticipating something horrible. "The Ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament." He tried to continue but the room had exploded with complaints and abuse.

"That's rubbish!" Fred and George shouted while I exhaled in relief. I didn't want them competing anyway.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore shouted, and the room became hushed once again.

I chewed on my bottom lip as I watched Dumbledore raise his wand to the large gold plated statue-like thing next him, and with a high tinkling noise, it melted away to reveal a large stone goblet.

As I stared at it, a deep blue flame flickered to life above it, the flames licked at the air, as if unsure of where it was supposed to go. Its strange blue colouring was only a few shades darker than the colour that my eyes turned to when I used my abilities; it was a little unnerving…

"The Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore announced. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves into the Tournament need only write their name on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly," He warned. "If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, The Triwizard Tournament has begun."

* * *

I sat on my familiar windowsill in my dorm that I shared with Hermione and the others. They were all asleep and as usual, I was the only one awake. I stared up at the moon and let my mind wander, the bright light of the large orb made my skin glow dimly.

The flame in the great hall reflected off a certain spot on the Black Lake, reflecting its menacing light back at me, making me anxious.

That strange blue flame seemed to melt in itself, yet still remain burning. It seemed to call to me in a strange sense… I didn't understand why or how…

But I knew I'd get the answers soon.

* * *

"Alistor Moody," The strange man explained at the beginning of our first Defence against the Dark Arts lesson of the year. "Ex Auror, Ministry mal-content, and your new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher." He looked over us with a controlled expression. "I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end." He paused. "Any questions?"

Wow… this guy was strange.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts," He began as we remained silent. "I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

I saw Hermione stiffen next to me and I turned my head to look at her with a curious expression, she had suddenly straightened up in her seat and I immediately realized that this was a topic she didn't like, but she answered anyway. "Three, sir."

Moody walked to the chalk board, "And they are so named?" He asked.

"Because they are unforgivable," She replied, her voice shaking slightly. "The use of any one of them will…"

"Earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct." He finished as he wrote _UNFORGIVABLE _on the board. "Now, the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared!" He turned towards the board, "You need to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!"

I turned my head to see Seamus with an annoyed expression, "Oh no way, the old codger can see out the back of his head."

Moody whirled around and threw his piece of chalk, "And hear across classrooms!" he shouted before walking forwards and standing in front of Harry and Ron's table. "So, which curse shall we see first? Weasley!"

"Yes?" Ron whimpered, looking upwards.

"Stand!" Moody demanded. "Give us a curse," He asked.

"Well," Ron began. "My…my dad did tell me about one… The Imperious Curse?"

"Yeah, your father would know all about that," He paused, "Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you _why_."

I glanced at Hermione again, she didn't look very comfortable.

I watched as Moody lifted a spider out of one of the containers, "Engorgio," He muttered, "Imperio!"

As soon as the curse left his lips, the spiders' muscles seemed to lock, it tried to get away but it wasn't controlling itself anymore. Moody was.

The room jumped into life as the spider was forced to jump from one table to another, onto people's heads and such. "Don't worry, she's completely harmless!" He called, before making the spider drop onto Ron's head. "If she bites, she's lethal."

I giggled into my hand when Moody noticed Malfoy laughing and with a, "What are you laughing at?" He flung the spider onto his face.

"Talented isn't she?" Moody asked, before moving the spider again, "What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" Suddenly… all traces of humour were gone. "Drown herself?" He asked, dangling the spider over a bucket of water. When it was back in his hand, he spoke. "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding, under the influence of the Imperious curse. But here's the rub, how do we sort out, the liars?"

Silence.

"Another, another," He urged. "Up, up, come on."

Hermione didn't raise her hand, but Neville did.

"Longbottom, is it?" Moody asked, "Up." He waited until Neville was standing before he spoke again. "Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology."

Neville nodded before he spoke, "Th-there's the um… the Cruciatus curse."

"Correct, correct!" Moody praised, suddenly excited. "Come, come." He urged with a wave of his hand. "Particularly nasty," He muttered before placing the spider on the table. "The torture curse," He whispered before pointing his wand at the arachnid and shouting "Crucio!"

The high pitched squeals of pain were gentle on normal ears, but my head was ringing, my teeth locked together as the noises caused my fingers to curl against the desk, some of the wood broke away under my hands as I leaned forward slightly, a quiet hiss of discomfort passed my lips. Hermione seemed to notice.

"Stop it!" She cried, "Can't you see its bothering them, stop it!"

As soon as the high pitched squeal came to and end, I was able to right myself. Hermione had said "Them," I glanced at Neville to see his hands balled into fists and a light sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. Wow…

Moody picked up the spider and walked towards our table, Hermione was staring downwards, seeming very uncomfortable. Moody cleared his throat and placed the spider on her books, "Um, perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss Granger?"

She shook her head.

"No?" He muttered before pointing his wand, "Avada Kedavra!"

I watched as, in a flash of sickly green, the spider flipped onto its back and became still.

I wasn't sure how to react; I was frozen in place, my mind blank.

"The killing curse," Moody continued as the silence stretched on. "Only one person has known to have survived it, and he's sitting in this room." He muttered before walking to the boy with the scar on his forehead.

Harry…

* * *

"Brilliant, isn't he?" Ron asked as we walked down the spiral staircase after the lesson was over. "Completely demented, of course… and terrifying to be in the same room with, but he's really been there, you know? He's looked evil in the eye."

"There's a reason those curses are unforgivable." Hermione snapped. "To perform them in a classroom…"

"It was excruciating…" I whispered, my eyes empty, the disturbing green light still flashing behind them.

Hermione nodded in recognition, her eyes softening before they hardened again and her anger came back twice as hard. "I mean, did you see Neville's face?"

We came to a stop at a window where the boy we were just talking about stared blankly at the picture sketched into the glass.

"Neville?" Hermione asked, her voice dripping with concern.

Moody suddenly joined us and placed a hand on Neville's shoulder, "Son, you alright?" He asked, remaining silent as he nodded. "Come on, we'll have a cup of tea, I want to show you something." As he turned, he glanced at me and wariness flicked across his scarred face. "Something bothering you, Miss Dawson?" He asked, still concerned.

I bit my lip, "Just… a little overwhelmed."

He nodded, he knew about what I was capable of, "Just relax, it'll pass." Was all he said before he left.

I stared at the picture on the mirror before we continued walking. Seeing the rain splatter against it, the sudden gloomy mood showing what I should be feeling…

I wasn't feeling anything but unease for the moment…

Something wasn't right.

* * *

**BWA: Ooooh! Freaky.  
Amber: That has to be the weirdest teacher I've ever had.  
Emmett: I don't like spiders...  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Is this all we can come up with?... Don't answer that.  
Emmett: Hey.. where is everyone?  
BWA: -Looks around- Huh. You think that I would have noticed the room being pretty much empty.  
Emmett: Do you think we scared the rest of them off?  
Amber: Who knows?  
Emmett: I don't.  
Amber: -Giggles-  
BWA: Okay.. well, it seems as though we're going to have to go on a treasure hunt or something to find the others.  
Emmett: Be sure to review!  
BWA: Yes, please! The reviews so far have been brilliant! Thank you!  
Amber: We'll see you soon!  
Emmett: Bye!**

* * *


	4. Unexpected

**_

* * *

_**

BWA: Hiya, lovelies! Sorry this update took so long - I've been very busy.. I seriously haven't had a spare minute. But never fear, for I shall be on holidays soon, then I can update more often!  
Emmett: Whoop, whoop!  
BWA: Now, this is where things start to take a turn for the worst. Any ideas?  
Amber: Yes.. -Goes all dreamy-  
BWA: -Giggles- Amber enjoyed herself in this chapter, I guess you could say Cedric did, too.  
Cedric: -Blushes- Shut up.  
BWA: In this chapter, you get a good look into the intensity of Amber's abilities, and you see the amount of trust that Dumbledore has in her.  
Amber: Yep, I'm pretty awesome like that.  
Harry: Why do I have to get in trouble?  
BWA: Because, that's just what happens.. Sorry kiddo.  
Harry: Yeah, yeah.  
BWA: Well, in case you haven't figured out what happens already, we'll let you read now.  
Emmett: Read, already!

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter four  
Unexpected**_

The Great Hall was crowded, full of people watching to see who was game enough to put their name in the goblet. Hermione was sitting in the row of bleachers in front of me, while I poked her back with my feet, smiling when she swung her arm out behind her, giggling when I distracted her from reading.

"Go on, Cedric! Put it in!"

My curious gaze lifted to see Cedric Diggory stumble through the age line; he must have turned seventeen this year. He was drenched from head to toe, his odd, bronze hair was plastered to his face and a small, determined smile was resting on his lips as he dropped his name into the goblet. He looked up just as he turned and our eyes met again, this was becoming a daily thing… tingles shot through my body, it was insane… what he could do to me with a single glance. The right side of his mouth pulled up higher than the left in a lop-sided smile, and I couldn't help but smile back, my cheeks warming. He reluctantly ended our moment and turned back to his friends, leaping onto them as I watched in amusement.

He continued to watch me.

"Yes!" Two familiar voices shouted in unison and I turned my head as a smirk appeared on my rosy lips.

"Thank you, thank you!"

"Well, lads, we've done it!" George announced as the blue from the fire reflected off our skin.

"Cooked it up just this morning!" Fred finished.

"It's not going to work," Hermione sang.

The twins grinned before they crouched next to her; I leaned forward and rested on George's shoulder.

"Oh yeah?" Fred asked.

"Why's that, Granger?"

Hermione huffed before she closed her book. "You see this?" She asked, swinging her arm in a circle, tracing the white line that surrounded the goblet. "This is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?" Fred asked, as if it was no big deal.

Hermione scoffed and rolled her eyes, "_So,_ a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dim-witted as an aging potion."

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant," Fred began with a lazy smile.

"Because it's so pathetically dim-witted," George and I chimed in unison, finishing Fred's sentence before they hopped up and shook the tubes in their hands.

"Ready Fred?"

"Ready George."

They turned to each other and cross their arms. "Bottoms up!"

I watched as they drank the yellow ooze before jumping over the age line, they waited… nothing happened. The crowd cheered as they ran around, rousing them into cries of encouragement. After taking a deep breath, they threw their names into the goblet… nothing happened. They high fived each other just as the fire swirled about madly.

I lurched forward, eyes wide as the blue flames hit Fred and George square in the chest, knocking them back several feet. I waited for sounds to tell me that they were okay, as soon as I heard them bickering, I knew they were fine.

As the rest of the students chanted, "Fight, fight, fight!" Hermione and I relaxed into the seats, shaking our heads. I ran a hand through my hair as I laughed.

Silence washed over the room again as Viktor Krum walked in with his headmaster in tow. He walked right up to the goblet and placed his name in, sharing a glance with Hermione as he turned and I noticed the hint of a smile playing on his hardened face.

I grinned.

* * *

"Sit down," Dumbledore asked, "Please?"

The chatter in the Great Hall slowed and then stopped completely as we all sat on tables, chairs and the stack of bleachers around the goblet. I sat behind Harry and Hermione, on the highest seat up on the bleachers.

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for," Dumbledore announced, "The champion selection!"

His arm suddenly swung out, slowly looping around the room. As the lights dimmed, my stomach tightened sickeningly. I watched as he rested his hands on the goblet, the odd blue flame still flickering with life… it tormented me now, and I suddenly felt a link form between me and the odd light, it was strengthening with each passing second.

When Dumbledore stepped away, the flame changed to a bright shade of pink and it curled in on itself before jolting upwards, spitting out a piece of paper before resuming to it's original shade. Dumbledore caught it with ease.

"The Durmstrang Champion is… Viktor Krum!"

The hardened boys cheered and rubbed Krum's head as he got up and walked towards the front of the Great Hall.

The fire spat out another name.

"The Champion for Beauxbatons… Miss Fleur De Lacour."

The girls dressed in blue squealed in delight as their friend stood up and joined Viktor, their cries were so much more feminine than the boys from Durmstrang.

My stomach tightened further as I waited for the next announcement.

"The Hogwarts Champion… Cedric Diggory!"

Screams and cheers exploded throughout the room, drowning out everything else as Cedric stood up, I couldn't help but smile and clap as he walked past, his eyes flashed to mine and he grinned, making my heart flutter. I couldn't help but be worried for him though.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore shouted, "We now have our three champions! But in the end, only one will go down in history…" He went on about something else and then the crowd cheered, but I didn't hear it.

The tightening in my stomach suddenly pulled tight, almost to the point of pain and something tugged me violently upwards, making my back arch in an unnatural way. I cried out rather loudly, my pained noise bounced off the walls, bringing silence to the room. Hundreds of pairs of eyes flashed to me as my back relaxed and then arched again, almost as if I was being repeatedly tugged forward by a string. My teeth locked together and I snarled violently as the blue fire swirled rapidly out of control.

As it changed from blue to pink, the last violent tug almost pulled me off my chair, I watched, wary as the eyes flicked from me to the piece of paper that now rested in Dumbledore's hand. I gasped for breath as the silence stretched on; my bottom lip was immediately in between my teeth.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore called, my wide green eyes flashed to Harry who was sinking back into his seat.

"HARRY POTTER!" He all but screamed.

"Go on, Harry," Hermione urged. "Harry for goodness sake." She pushed him off the chair and we watched as he walked towards Dumbledore. When he read his name on the piece of paper, his head snapped up, eyes wide in alarm before he walked to the front of the Great Hall.

"He's a cheat!"

"He's not even seventeen yet!"

A loud, menacing snarl from me stopped the complaints in their tracks.

What was going on?

* * *

Harry and I wandered down to the Trophy Room in silence, my hand rested on his shoulder as we walked down the stairs. Dumbledore had granted me permission to go with Harry as I had a reaction to the flame.

When the metal gates opened, Harry and I turned in different directions. I walked over to the other three students whom two of stared at me suspiciously, curious as to why I was down here.

Cedric looked down at me with understanding in his beautiful eyes; he motioned for me to stand with him, placing a hand of the small of my back when I reached him. Sparks shot up my spine but I was forced to ignore them.

"Are you alright?" He whispered into my ear.

I tilted my head upwards to look at him, the golden light from the fireplace reflected off the different trophies and made the bronze in his hair stand out more. "I think so, just a little dizzy."

His fingers twitched against my back.

Dumbledore and the others rushed down the staircase and into the trophy room, they were all trying to speak over each other. The noise was irritating.

"Harry!" Dumbledore growled, almost running to him before grabbing his shoulders and forcing him backwards, trophies clanged against the floor. "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"No, sir!" Harry gasped.

"You ask one of the older students to do it for you?"

"No, sir!"

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes, yes sir."

"But of course, he is lying." Madame Maxine argued.

"The hell he is!" Moody shot back, "The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object, only an exceptionally powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked it." He explained in an angered rush. "Magic way beyond the talents of a Fourth year!"

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye!" Karkaroff spat.

"It was once my job to think as Dark Wizards do, Karkaroff, perhaps you remember?" Moody replied in a low voice. I growled at the mention of Dark Magic.

"That doesn't help, Alistor!" Dumbledore replied.

"Professor?" I asked quietly, stepping out of the comfort of Cedric's arm, the teachers turned. "I… I felt it." I mumbled, "The flame, I mean."

A bunch of eyes stared at me.

"What do you mean, Miss Dawson?" Dumbledore asked.

I ran a hand through my hair, "When the flame… reacted after the original three had been chosen, it sort of… tugged at me, tried to pull me forward. I don't understand it but as soon as it spat out Harry's name… It stopped."

"Your abilities," Moody replied.

My eyes widened, "Excuse me?"

He walked towards me, explaining as he went. "You're powers are maturing, there is more to them than we first thought. The Silver Phoenix was an incredibly powerful creature, capable of incredible things. When something out of the ordinary occurs, it triggers a sort of reflex inside your head, causing you to feel it." He smiled darkly, "You're stronger than I gave you credit for."

Madame Maxine gasped, "The Silver Phoenix?" She asked, her words slurring together.

"Amber is a child of legend, the Silver Phoenix allows her to see through the eyes of people and animals alike." Dumbledore explained, "She has inhuman senses, animalistic traits and abilities that strengthen by the day. They are beginning to mature, she's growing in strength and gaining more abilities and skills as each hour passes."

"Incredible," The large woman muttered, eyeing me curiously.

I took a step back and Cedric's hand was resting against my skin once again.

Dumbledore sighed and turned to Mr. Crouch, "Leave this to you, Barty."

Mr. Crouch hesitated before he spoke, "The rules are absolute, the Goblet of Fire constitutes and binding magical contract." He turned around. "Mr. Potter has no choice; he is as of tonight, a Triwizard Champion."

Silence filled the room for a few short moments.

"So be it," Dumbledore muttered before turning to me, "Amber, search the grounds, make sure nothing is going on under our noses."

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Permission to accompany her, Professor?" Cedric's low voice echoed off the walls. "To make sure she's unharmed."

Dumbledore waved a hand dismissively, "Very well." He looked at me again. "You know what to do."

* * *

"You don't have to come with me, Cedric." I muttered as we walked up the last few stairs into the regular corridors.

Cedric looked down at me with curious, saddened eyes, "Don't you want me to come with you?" He asked, the moonlight shone against our skin, he stunned me into silence for a few moments.

I shook my head, surprise flitting across my face as we walked, "I didn't mean it like that, I mean… You shouldn't have to feel obligated to make sure I don't get hurt just because you're a prefect."

He chuckled quietly and I committed the sound to memory. "Amber, I… it's…" I'd never seen him at a loss for words before, mainly because I'd never actually spoken to him. "Would it be strange if I said that… even though I don't know you very well… I feel pulled to you?"

My heart thumped unevenly against my ribs for a few beats before it swelled. He felt the same pull? I felt dizzy with relief.

I let a smile tug at my lips, "Not at all," I replied.

He smiled in response as his eyes glowed before they became curious again as we turned a corner. "So, why did Dumbledore ask you to scout the grounds?"

I rolled my eyes, "Weren't you listening before? I can see through the eyes of animals and humans, I can see a lot of different things at once."

His head tilted to the side in confusion, "I'm not sure I understand."

I giggled quietly, blushing as his breath caught. "Watch."

We had reached an open window which allowed me to lean forward and whistle one long note into the night. A few moments later, my snowy white owl swooped in. I looked into Bella's peculiar blue eyes for half a second before I blinked, suddenly seeing myself before she launched herself into the open air again. I distantly heard Cedric whisper my name before I felt two warm hands grab my waist and pull me backwards, perhaps I was leaning too far out the window.

I scanned the school as Bella flew in loops around it, diving down to search through different spots when she felt the need to. There wasn't anything around except for the occasional bat and the glow of the moon, rain began to fall again after a while. Nevertheless, I let her fly a few more loops before I allowed my own sight to take over.

When I did, my cheeks turned bright red.

My back was pressed against Cedric's chest, my head resting in the crook of his neck. His hands were securely holding my waist, keeping me pressed against him. His eyes stared down at me, dancing with amazement and something else that I didn't recognise.

I stared back at him, my lips parted somewhere in between and I watched as he ducked his head, bringing our faces closer together. Our lips were inches apart, but we never moved closer, his breath blew across my face, scattering my thoughts and I ached to tilt my head back and feel his lips against my own… Where was this coming from?

As if it wasn't meant to happen, I suddenly saw myself from Cedric's eyes. I don't think he planned for me to be able to see it but it happened anyway. I suddenly felt what he felt and saw myself the way he saw me.

I wasn't expecting what I got.

My hair looked almost black in the light of the moon, which gave my skin its odd, luminescent glow. My lips were a deep red and my eyes were bright and clouded with something that I didn't recognise once again… The same thing I'd seen in his eyes. But they weren't my usual green, they were blue.

That caught his attention and he gasped, breaking my concentration and his face came into view once again.

"What was that?" He asked, not moving.

I blinked, "That was me looking through your eyes," I breathed, unable to wrap my head around it. "You really see me like that? After only a week or so?"

He smiled his lop-sided smile again, "Strange isn't it? Stronger than it should be… but yes, I really do see you like that."

The sudden chime of the clock made us realize how close to each other we actually were. Much to my dismay, Cedric let go of me and allowed me to step back as I ran a hand through my hair.

"We've been out here for quite a while," He mumbled with a smile, holding his hand out, "Shall we?"

I stared at his hand for a few moments before placing my small hand in his, trembling as that familiar electric current ran through my body. We shared a smile before we walked back the way we had come.

"That day we went to the Quidditch World Cup," Cedric began, breaking the silence. "The first day I saw you, it was like nothing else mattered. You plagued my thoughts until after we left, and I grew all the more excited to come to school."

With a small laugh I looked up at him to see a smile on his face. "Really?" He nodded. "Wow, I wasn't expecting this."

We walked to the Gryffindor common room first; we stopped outside the painting of the Fat Lady who graciously looked away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," He breathed.

"Kay," I replied, sad to be saying goodnight.

Cedric smiled before raising his right hand to cup my cheek before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on my forehead, my head swirled as his scent overwhelmed my nostrils. He looked pleased when he pulled away.

"Goodnight," He whispered, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into the skin of my cheek.

"Goodnight," I replied, if not quieter than him, I watched in silence as he smiled and then turned to walk to his common room.

I gave the Fat Lady the password and she let me in.

"Someone's in love," She teased as I walked past, making me laugh.

Was I in love?

* * *

**Amber: -Squeals-  
Emmett: Ow.. my ears.  
BWA: That was pretty loud, wasn't it?  
Cedric: Does anyone else think that nostrils is a strange word?  
BWA: I used to think that fork was the weirdest word ever.. I used to sit there going, "Fork. Fork. Fork."  
Emmett: Bahahaha!  
BWA: Shut up, I was little, okay?  
Emmett: Mhm.  
BWA: Okay, now, I was worried that some of you might think that Amber and Cedric are moving too fast, you'll think so in the next chapter.. But, I think I should explain now. As Cedric said, "Stronger than it should be.." For Amber, every emotion is intensified, so, love... It would be a really overpowering thing. She won't ever want anyone else.. That's another thing. Thanks to the Phoenix, she'll only fall in love when she finds her soul mate.  
Emmett: Three guesses who.  
Hermione: -Runs in- What did I miss?  
Emmett: Where have you been?  
Hermione: I was -  
Harry: -Wanders in- Reading.  
Ron: -Follows- Of course.  
Fred: That's all she ever does.  
George: Nerd.  
Emmett: -Freaks out- Where are you coming from!?!  
BWA: ...The other room..  
Emmett: Oh.  
BWA: Well, we seem to be quite crowded right about now. So, we'll head off. We'll see you again real soon for chapter five!  
Fred: Review!  
George: It makes us feel loved!**

* * *


	5. Je t'aime

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* * *

_**

BWA: Welcome back! How have you been?  
Emmett: Pretty good.  
BWA: That's good.  
Amber: So.. -giggles- does anything interesting happen in this chapter?  
Emmett: What's up with her?  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- You'll find out. Anyway, lovely readers.. This chapter is a pretty important one cause-  
Amber: -Squeals-  
Emmett: O.o She's starting to freak me out.  
BWA: -Laughs- Sorry, Emmett.. Anyway, I don't think Amber is going to let me explain what happens in this chapter, so you'll just have to find out for yourselves.  
Emmett: Sounds good to me, she's hurting my ears.  
BWA: -Grins- Anyway, to begin with, I wasn't too sure about this chapter, but the more I read over it, the better it seemed to fit. Hopefully you see it the same way I do.  
Emmett: -Glances nervously at Amber- Should we let them read now?  
BWA: I think so.  
Emmett: -Whispers- You can read now..  
Amber: -Giggles-

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter five  
Je t'aime**_

As the days went by, Cedric and I spent more and more time together, we were constantly asking each other questions, curious as to what made each other the way we are now. Cedric was ever curious about my abilities, and he eagerly let me grow used to seeing through his eyes. I never really got used to the way he saw me, though.

One particular morning, he had an interview with the other Champions for the Daily Prophet, his nerves where showing when I walked with him to the room where they were waiting. He held my hand tightly as I laughed while he constantly ran his fingers through his hair.

"Cedric," I began with a roll of my eyes, "Stop fretting, it's not like they're going to ask you to pose nude for a photo shoot or anything." I laughed when his eyes widened, I'd never seen him this nervous before. "Why are you so jumpy?" I asked, reaching up and attempting to fix his windblown hair by threading my fingers through it, I smiled when he leaned into my hand.

"That feels nice," He breathed, staring down at me. "I don't know why I'm so nervous… I've never really done anything like this before. I don't know what to do."

I laughed, "Is that all you're worried about?" He nodded with a sheepish smile, "Silly boy, just be yourself. They'll love you, just like I do."

As soon as the words left my mouth, my cheeks turned bright red, but I couldn't look away. Cedric's eyes widened and then softened until they were a beautiful melting mix of blue and green. All his nervousness seemed to melt away as he pulled me into his warm embrace, his arms wrapped around me and his nose nuzzled into my hair. I sighed in content and tucked my head into the crook of his neck again, wrapping my arms around his neck. After a while, I pulled away.

"Come on, you're going to be late if we don't get moving." I whispered, taking his hand and pulling him down the corridor, my heart still thumping rapidly against my ribs.

* * *

While Cedric was having his interview, I wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the school, thinking about what was going on between me and him.

I couldn't think straight when I was around him, he made me feel all warm and fuzzy and he knew how to make me laugh. He'd hold me when I was upset and smile with me when I was happy. My heart beat sped up whenever I was with him.

I sighed in frustration and ran my hands through my hair, walking into an empty courtyard. I hopped up onto the stone wall, leaning against one of the surrounding pillars. I watched the trees sway in the gentle breeze, it was so peaceful. I smiled before I let my head tip back, my eyes closed as the breeze blew my hair gently around my face, tickling my skin. I pulled my legs up against my chest and wrapped my arms around them, resting my cheek on my knees, just thinking.

I don't know how long I sat there for, but, as time stretched on, my thoughts became clearer.

"Did you miss me?" A low voice called.

I lifted my head and turned towards the direction of the voice. Cedric was standing a few metres away, smiling warmly at me.

"Of course," I replied. "Did you have fun?"

He laughed once and spoke as he walked towards me, "It was a little scary to be honest. The woman - Rita Skeeter, was a little full on."

I smiled. Rita Skeeter, she was a little over the top; her columns were normally completely off the mark and she liked to flirt, a lot.

"I can imagine," I replied, still smiling.

Cedric's eyes suddenly softened again as he sat down next to me, "She asked about you quite a bit, though."

I sat up a bit straighter, my eyes wide, "She did?"

"Mhm," He mumbled. "She was quite interested in you."

My head tipped to the side, "Why doesn't that sound good?"

He chuckled and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, twisting it back into place, my heart kicked up. "She asked if we were seeing each other and if I'd found my soul mate, she tried to get the inside scoop on your abilities, too. But I didn't want you getting unwanted media attention."

I smiled in gratitude, "Thank you, so… what did you say to her?"

He took a deep breath before he spoke, his beautiful eyes wary. "I told her that we were… and that I had."

I stared at him in surprise, blinking every few seconds.

As if the weather took in my sudden elated mood, the dreary clouds parted slightly, spilling sunlight across the courtyard - illuminating everything in a bright, colourful light. The sunlight bounced off Cedric's hair, making the copper undertones even more noticeable.

Before I could stop myself, the three words I'd been longing to say for the past two weeks jumped past my lips.

"I love you."

The silence that stretched on after that made my cheeks flood with red. I bit my lip as I looked away, watching the sunlight weave through the leaves of the trees, casting patterns onto the ground. My skin tingled when a warm hand cupped my cheek, making me look straight ahead. Cedric was looking at me with an expression that made me think he was going to start bouncing off the walls.

He leaned forward, our eye contact never breaking, until he stopped an inch from my lips. "Are you sure?" He asked, no louder than a whisper.

"Positive," I breathed.

After shooting me his familiar lop-sided grin, he closed the distance between us.

Sparks shot from my head to my toes at the immediate contact, I'd had no experience in kissing whatsoever but a part of me knew what to do… this felt… right. So, with unexplainable confidence, I put the tiniest amount of pressure on his lips, I felt him smile against my lips and I wondered when exactly I had closed my eyes. My arms slowly wound around his neck and I sighed against his lips, I heard his breath hitch before he pushed me backwards, very carefully, so that my back came in contact with the stone behind me and his hands rested themselves on my waist.

My head was spinning as our lips moved together, colliding again and again in simple, gentle movements. Cedric carefully took my bottom lip between his and I giggled into his mouth, making him smile. He pressed one last kiss to my lips before he pulled away, smiling like an idiot.

"Wow," I breathed.

He chuckled quietly, "Amber?"

"Hmm?" I mumbled lazily.

"I love you, too."

I think my heart stopped beating. "You do?"

He nodded, "I do."

A giggle suddenly burst past my lips and I flung myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face into the crook of his neck. He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing a kiss against my hair as the sun continued to shine down on us.

* * *

The rest of the week passed in somewhat of a blur.

The news that Cedric and I were together spread through the school like wild-fire. People would look at me in utter astonishment when Cedric would walk me to each of my classes, leaving only after placing a kiss on my forehead. Hermione stared at me with an open mouth when I first told her about my relationship with the Triwizard Champion, let's just say… we spent a few minutes holding hands and jumping around the dorm like a pair of idiots…

Ha!

Nevertheless, whenever we didn't have classes, Cedric and I were together - there wasn't one day when we weren't with each other. It was almost painful to be separated from him, but whenever my classes finished, he was always waiting just outside the door with a smile.

Cedric's friends had welcomed me in with open arms, they were all so friendly and they were happy to see that their friend had finally found someone, although they tended to tease him about it a lot. I thought it was cute. I still saw the others whenever I could; they understood that I now had another person that I had to make time for. Hermione normally told me to go to him when I could be spending time with her. She was just happy seeing me so elated.

So it honestly took me by surprise when, on Saturday night, as I sat on the windowsill in my dorm, once again unable to sleep, too giddy for my own good - I found myself staring at the fire in the common room which had taken on the familiar face of Sirius Black through my blue tinted eyes.

"Sirius!" I heard Harry gasp, I wasn't sure whether he intended for me to see this, but… it seemed to be a reflex thing now. "How…?"

"I don't have much time, Harry, so let me get straight to it," Sirius replied in a rushed voice. "Did you or did you not put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"No!" Harry hissed, seemingly tired of being asked.

"Shh," Sirius hushed as Harry looked around the room, checking for eavesdroppers, my eyes flicked about in tandem. "I had to ask," his gaze flicked back to his godfather. "Now, tell me about this dream of yours. You mentioned Wormtail and Voldemort, but who was the third man in the room?"

"I don't know…" Harry mumbled.

"You didn't hear a name?"

"No, um… Voldemort was giving him a job to do, something important."

"And what was that?" Sirius asked, all business.

Harry took a shaky breath before he replied, "He wanted… me." He paused, "I don't know… why, but he was going to use this man to get to me. But, I mean… it was only a dream, right?"

"Yes," Sirius whispered, "It's just a dream." I didn't miss the rapid flicking of his eyes as he avoided eye contact with the young boy. "Listen Harry, those Death Eaters at the world cup, your name rising from that goblet, these are not just coincidences, Hogwarts isn't safe anymore."

"What are you saying?" Harry whispered in confusion.

"I'm saying the devil's are inside the walls; Igor Karkaroff, he was a Death Eater, and no one, not one stops being a Death Eater. Then there's Barty Crouch, heart of stone, sent his own son to Azkaban."

The faint sound of a door closing made Harry's head whip around as he listened, the silence did nothing but stretch on.

"Do you think one of them put my name in the Goblet?" Harry asked.

"I haven't a clue who put your name in that Goblet, Harry. But whoever did is no friend to you. People _die _in this tournament."

I distantly felt my body go rigid.

"I'm not ready for this, Sirius." Harry breathed, he sounded terrified.

"You don't have a choice." Sirius paused for a moment, "Keep Amber in on everything."

"Dumbledore's got her keeping an eye on me," Harry replied.

"Good, she has the ability to keep you safe, she's just as much a part of this tournament as you, now."

Harry took a deep breath, "I know, she's doing everything she can."

Sirius seemed to smile, "She's a strong girl."

A quiet noise rang out from behind them, Harry turned and his eyes widened as he took in the shadow that spilled against the walls.

"Someone's coming!" He hissed.

"Keep your friends close, Harry," Sirius echoed, disappearing.

All I saw was Ron wandering into view before I was staring back out the window.

I slumped back against the cool brick, my heart beating rapidly in my chest and my lungs ripping air down my throat. I felt suddenly weary, my eyes drooping, so with a low sigh, I wandered to my bed. The conversation between Harry and Sirius replaying throughout my dreaming until the early hours of the morning.

* * *

**BWA: Ta-da!  
Amber: -Melts into a puddle on the floor-  
Cedric: Is she okay?  
Emmett: -Pokes her- Probably.. at least she's not squealing anymore.  
BWA: -Giggles- I was worried that it would seem like they're moving too fast, but that's just how it is for them.  
Emmett: They're soul mates. Why hide it?  
BWA: Exactly. So, hopefully this didn't throw you off or anything. -Takes a deep breath- Crap. I'm nervous now.  
Emmett: -Laughs- There's no reason to be.  
BWA: I hope not.  
Hermione: It's cute seeing them being all affectionate.  
Harry: -Rolls eyes- Girls...  
BWA: -Giggles- Okay, well, that's about it from us. I'm on school holidays for a few weeks, so, hopefully I'll be able to update a bit more.  
Emmett: Fingers crossed!  
BWA: We'll be back soon!  
Emmett: -Waves-**

* * *


	6. Relax

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_**

**BWA: Boo!  
Amber: -Squeals-  
BWA: Oops. Sorry.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: Welcome back! I tried not to have such a large gap between chapters this time. I think I did pretty well. -Grins-  
Cedric: -Waves- Hi, Liz!  
BWA: Yep. My sister, who peeked even though I told her not to, left one of the sweetest reviews I've ever read in my life. Thanks sis! Also, she showed me a beautiful Gaelic phrase that seemed to work well with the name of this story. It's: ""Ta mo chroi istigh ionat" which means, "My heart is within you." Sigh. Very sweet. I'm also very happy that chapter five seemed to work for everyone. It's a massive relief.  
Emmett: Je t'aime!  
BWA: -Giggles- For those of you that were wondering, Je t'aime means "I love you."  
Emmett: Wanna let them read now?  
BWA: Sure, why not? Off you go!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. Amber belongs to me!**

_

* * *

_**_  
Chapter six  
Relax_**

My thoughts were in overdrive the next morning, so I'd just wandered around, trying to figure out what I was going to do.

Of course, with the abilities I had, I was a major asset, I had to be around to help whenever I was needed, and in this case, I had to watch over Harry. But now I also had to keep Cedric safe… if something happened to either of them, I would never forgive myself.

My abilities were maturing, even this very second… I could feel it. Sirius wanted me to stay in on everything that was happening behind the scenes at Hogwarts; he wanted me to be on my guard at all times. I groaned quietly and dropped my head into my hands, only just realizing that I'd sat down. I was on the grass, leaning on a tree.

When I felt a warm hand brush across my neck, I lifted my head to see Cedric crouched down in front of me, his breathtaking eyes swimming with love and concern, for me.

In a rush, my frustration and stress melted away as he moved to sit beside me. I smiled as he took my left hand in one of his. He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips before he smiled his silly lop-sided smile, making me laugh quietly.

"Is something bothering you?" He breathed; the quiet tone of his voice dazed me momentarily.

I shrugged half-heartedly, "I just… have a lot on my mind."

The worried look on his face had me telling him everything that was causing me even the smallest amount of discomfort. He listened intently to everything I had to say, his arm wrapped tighter around my waist the more hysterical I became. When I finally finished talking, Cedric exhaled quietly and pulled me impossibly closer, his eyes boring into mine.

"Amber, you can't let all this get to you, this isn't something that you need to deal with alone."

"I know, I just… I… I have to help, as much as I can." My sentence finished in a whisper.

Cedric laughed quietly, his lop-sided smile appearing on his lips, "Do you not realize how much of a difference you're making already? You silly girl, just relax. Breathe."

I obediently took a deep breath.

He grinned before he leaned forward, pressing his warm lips to my own.

I don't think I'd ever get used to kissing him; we seemed to fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. I smiled against his lips and wound my arms around his neck, pressing myself against him. I heard his breathing pick up as his lips parted under my own; I almost died when I felt his tongue carefully trace the curve of my bottom lip. I made a small whimper of a noise before we parted, both breathing rather harshly, my cheeks were flooded with red, my green eyes bright with excitement.

"Sorry," Cedric breathed, although he didn't look sorry.

I laughed quietly, "Don't be sorry, I liked it."

He smiled and pulled me close again, we both listened to the slowing of our hearts, relaxing against each other.

"Amber?"

I lifted my gaze from my fingers which were intertwined with Cedric's to see Hermione, Ron and Ginny wandering towards us.

"Hey guys," I chimed, still slightly dizzy from Cedric's kiss. "What's up?"

Ron looked oddly uncomfortable, but Hermione spoke again before I could ask about it. "Have you seen Harry?" She asked.

Oh.

I smiled slightly, curling into Cedric minutely, "He was down by the lake with Neville last time I heard. Why?"

"We have to tell him something." She mumbled, "Thanks for letting us know."

I waved my hand dismissively, "No problem, I'll see you later?"

She smiled warmly, "Of course. You two enjoy the morning, okay?"

Cedric laughed, "Will do."

She smiled again before they left, pulling their jackets closer to their bodies. I had completely forgotten about my jacket that was acting as a second skin, I felt impossibly warm next to Cedric.

Just before Hermione and the others were completely out of sight, one of them pushed an old memory towards me, I remained silent as I watched and listened to the string of names, all connected to the fact that Hagrid was looking for Harry.

I giggled once I was able to see Cedric's face again, and he smiled back at me as I repeated what I'd just heard.

Good luck figuring that out, Harry.

* * *

I watched Harry with a curious expression that night as he threw his jacket on and grabbed his invisibility cloak; no one else was in the common room except for me and him. It was too late at night.

"Do you have any idea why he wants to see you?" I asked.

Harry shook his head, "He didn't say anything except for, bring the cloak."

I pursed my lips, undecided before I grabbed his hand and made him stand in front of me, with determined eyes; I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, I saw the conversation between you and Sirius last night, whether you meant for me to see it or not, I was glad I saw it." He looked away, "Harry, you _are _ready for this, I know you are. You can do it, and I'll be there, every step of the way."

He sighed and his eyes dimmed, letting me see just how nervous he was, "You really think so?" He asked.

I scoffed, "Of course, I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it myself." I ruffled his hair with a smile, "Now, promise me that you'll show me what you're going to see tonight, if it concerns me. But, show me when you're ready. I'm not going to force you."

He nodded, "I know, thank you, Amber."

I sighed and pulled him into a hug, "There's no need to thank me, Harry. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe." I almost started crying when his arms tightened around my torso, letting me feel his fear. "You have to go," I whispered urgently into his ear before he pulled away. "Hagrid's waiting."

"You're right," He replied, walking towards the door.

"Harry?" I called as quietly as I could, smiling when he turned. "Be careful."

He nodded once before throwing the cloak over his head and wandering out into the corridors, both of us curious as to what exactly was going on.

I ran a hand through my hair before I walked back to the dorm and tried my best to get some sleep.

* * *

I swear… I would rip the head off the kid that made those goddamn badges.

As soon as Cedric saw my angered expression that morning, he wrapped an arm securely around my waist, and the low snarl that had been rolling, unwavering, from my throat stopped immediately.

"I know," He whispered, "I'm trying to get the others not to wear them."

"It's alright," I replied, relaxing against him as we walked over to where his friends were waiting, "It just bugs me."

Later that day, after classes, Cedric and I were out in a grassy courtyard with his friends, all crowded around a stone bench. I smiled down at Cedric, whose head was resting on my lap as he lay across the bench, his long fingers brushing across my cheek and twisting through the ringlets in my hair.

"Honestly, Ced," One of his friends complained, I always forgot his friends names when we were in our own little bubble… I think his name was Ernie? "You're whipped."

Cedric chuckled quietly, "And since when is that a bad thing?" He asked, and I laughed when the blonde female flicked the silly boys' ear.

A quiet little whisper of a noise echoed in my ears when Cedric traced my lips with his fingers, he smiled warmly when I placed a gentle kiss onto the palm of his hand right before our surrounding friends began making a chorus of loud, tormenting noises. I was just about to turn and tell them to can it when I saw Harry walking towards us, Cedric shot up and his hand immediately wrapped around my own.

"Read the badge, Potter!" One of the boys teased, and I shot him a look.

"Can I have a word?" Harry asked, his eyes flicking to me and taking in the confused yet concerned expression on my face, I watched as his jaw flexed and I was suddenly seeing something other than my friends and my boyfriend.

_The Dark Forest, illuminated by menacing flames._

_The deafening roar of a dangerous__ creature._

_The creaking and whining of cages, threatening to collapse under the constant attacks of the mythical creatures._

_The crazed gleam in the eye of the creature known as the Hungarian Horntail._

_Dragons…_

I sucked in a sharp breath, finally seeing Cedric's smiling face, as he answered Harry with an "Alright," and it surprised me to find out that hardly a second had passed. Cedric turned to me and something flickered across his face before his friend said something that made him smile again. He leaned in and pressed his warm lips to my cheek, sighing against my skin as I leaned into him. "I'll be right back," He whispered, running his nose along my jaw before getting up and following Harry.

I shared a glance with the blonde girl whose name I think was Hannah, she nodded and captured the attention of the others as I watched through Harry's eyes, to see what Cedric's reaction was.

"Dragons," He stated, "That's the first task, they've got one for each of us."

"Come on, Ced!"

Cedric looked over in our direction before his gaze flicked back to Harry; he suddenly looked a little worried. "Are… are you serious?" He asked, as if unable to believe it.

Harry nodded.

"And um, and Fleur and Krum do they…?" He trailed off.

"Yes."

Harry went to walk off so I let his sight slip away, I don't know what expression was on my face, but I felt nailed to the ground, and my face felt devoid of colour. When Cedric's warm hand pressed against the small of my back, I looked up to see him staring down at me.

"Amber, come with me." He mumbled, I took his hand blindly and walked silently with him for a few moments. When he came to a stop, he took in my expression, concern flickering across his face again before he took my face in his hands and pressed his lips to my own, as usual, my worries melted away and I responded immediately, the colour rushing back into my face as our lips moved in silent synchronization. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against my own.

"Everything is going to be okay, Amber." He breathed, kissing me again when my breathing hitched. "Don't worry yourself, I'll be fine. I promise."

I nodded, believing him without hesitation. He smiled before pulling me into his embrace, wrapping his arms securely around me. "Don't panic," He breathed. "I love you."

"I know," I whispered, pressing my lips to his neck. "I love you, too."

"Why so tense, Potter?" I heard Malfoy call as I stepped out of Cedric's embrace, a low growl rumbled out from my chest.

I turned when Cedric grabbed my hand. "Come on." I urged, "We should see what's going on."

"My father and I have a bet, you see." Malfoy continued as we stepped under the cover of the large tree. Harry glanced at me for a moment before turning back to Malfoy. "I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament." I watched with a controlled expression as the creep jumped from the tree he was sitting in to strut over to Harry, "He disagrees," He continued. "He thinks you won't last five."

A low snarl ripped up my throat as I leaned forward, Cedric's arms wrapped around me, holding me to him as Harry walked forward.

"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy." He spat, pushing on the lanky boys' shoulder. "He's vile and cruel, and you're just pathetic." Harry glared for a moment before he turned and began to walk away.

"Pathetic?" Malfoy hissed, reaching for his wand.

"Oh no, you don't, sonny!" Moody's voice shouted and I watched in amusement as Malfoy suddenly whirled to the ground, turning into a little white ferret. Harry and I shared a smug, bewildered glance as Moody raced forward. "I'll teach you to curse someone when their back is turned!" He began to wave his wand up and down, Malfoy floating upwards before sinking back down. Cedric laughed into my hair as I giggled in delight. "You stinking, cowardly, scummy, back shooting!"

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall called, rushing over to the commotion. "What, what are you doing?" She asked, watching the white animal bobbing in the air.

"Teaching," Moody spat, enjoying himself.

"Is that a… is that a student?" She asked in disbelief.

"Technically it's a ferret." He replied before rushing over the Crabbe and pulling his pants out, tumbling Malfoy in. Cedric and I laughed together as Goyle attempted to grab Malfoy out of his friend's pants, only to get bitten on the hand.

When the ferret shot out of Crabbe's pant leg, Professor McGonagall flicked her wand and the ferret grew in a blur of white, turning back into Malfoy who scrambled up off the ground.

"My father will hear about this!" He cried.

"Is that a threat?" Moody asked, racing forward as Malfoy sprinted around the tree. "Is that a threat?" He shouted. McGonagall called for the scarred man but he didn't pay any attention, shouting still as Malfoy ran out of sight. "I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair boy, it doesn't end here!"

"Alistair!" McGonagall cried, capturing his attention. "We _never _use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

Moody looked down, his lower lip pushed out slightly, his fun ruined. "He might have mentioned it."

"Well you will do well to remember it." She warned before turning to the rest of us. "Away!"

Moody and I shared a glance before he led Harry off somewhere, Cedric grabbed my hand again and we wandered back to the bench. This time, Cedric pulled me onto his lap, breathing in the scent of my hair.

"Oh man!" One of the boys surrounding us cried, still laughing. "That was hilarious!"

I grinned as Cedric pressed his lips to the back of my neck. "It's about time someone taught that creep a lesson."

* * *

**Emmett: Should we feel bad for Malfoy?  
Cedric: .... No.  
Malfoy: Oh, come on!  
Emmett: Sorry, Blondie. Cedric has spoken.  
Malfoy: Fine.. -Walks away-  
Emmett: -Waves- Bye, now!  
BWA: -Giggles- Does anyone else think it's cute that Cedric calms Amber down? Because I do!  
Amber: It's very cute.  
BWA: You'll see that, now they're together, their relationship will grow and all.  
Harry: -Hides under a table-  
Emmett: What's up with you?  
Harry: I'm scared...  
Emmett: Why?  
Harry: Dragons.. They freak me out. They're all big and toothy and rawr.  
Emmett:-Laughs- Woose.  
BWA: Well.. he's allowed to freak out. Not all of us are as enthusiastic as you, Emmett.  
Emmett: I guess so.  
BWA: Anyway, Harry will be facing his dragon in the next chapter, so be sure to join us!  
Emmett: Review, kiddies! We love you!**

* * *


	7. Dragons and Loud Noises

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* * *

_**

BWA: Hiya! Ready for the First Task?  
Harry: No..  
BWA: ...Is he still hiding under the table?  
Amber: -Peeks under the table- Yup.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: He's been there for ages. Oh well..  
Cedric: So... Dragons, huh?  
BWA: Yep, Dragons.  
Cedric: Charming.  
Amber: -Giggles- Rawr!  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Okay, seriously.. You people are incredible! I absolutely love you all to bits! You leave some of the most fantastic reviews. Hugs for everyone!  
Emmett: Woo!  
BWA: Okay, well.. This chapter is indeed the First Task, so we won't keep you any longer!

_

* * *

_

_Chapter seven  
Dragons and Loud Noises_

The nervousness that twisted my stomach in low, sickening movements was overwhelming; Cedric's hand was gripping tightly around my own as we paced together through the tent where the Champions stood. My eyes flicked to Harry every few seconds before jumping back to Cedric's face.

The First Task was today, the dragons had been wrangled into the gigantic arena. I'd watched it myself, talking briefly to Dumbledore before the students had begun to file in. He'd instructed me to keep my eyes open, to make sure that nothing was going to happen. I'd told him that I'd try my best. There was still only so much I could do.

The loud roar of a dragon tore me from my thoughts, a low shudder rolling across my body. Cedric pulled me impossibly closer, pressing a kiss to my hair as I stared at him with worried eyes. I heard the faint hissing of a familiar voice, Hermione. She was talking to Harry through the tent.

"Cedric…" I whispered, my voice betraying me by shaking.

Cedric cupped my cheek in his warm hand and pressed his lips to my own, calming me down once again before smiling slightly, "I'll be okay, it's alright."

"Young love!" an immediately irritating voice pierced our tense silence. We turned to see Rita Skeeter walking over to Hermione and Harry who had jumped out of an embrace; I didn't miss the glance that the blonde woman threw in our direction. Her beady eyes gleaming. "How… stirring." She muttered, swinging her finger around as a Quick Quotes Quill shot madly across a pad of paper. "If everything goes… unfortunately today," She continued, her eyes skimming over my friends, "You two may even make the front page!"

Cedric and I moved to stand near the other two students, our hands still joined.

"You have no business here," A low, heavily accented voice interrupted. I turned to see Viktor Krum, speaking for the first time since I'd seen him. Rita turned to the Durmstrang Champion, trying to look alluring, but just looking a little too over the top. "This tent is for champions, and friends." He warned, glancing at me to show that I was more than welcome.

"No matter," Rita replied, "We've uh, got what we wanted." The feather on her quill slipped along Krum's jaw as she turned and before anyone was ready, the flash on a camera went off, causing me to blink rapidly.

"Good day, Champions! Gather round, please." Professor Dumbledore began, entering the tent with the other headmasters right behind him. Cedric's arm wound around my waist as we stepped forward, "Now, you've waited, you've wondered, and at last the moment has arrived. A moment that only four of you can fully appreciate… What are you doing here Miss Granger?" He asked, only just noticing Hermione, who was standing next to Harry.

"Oh, um… sorry, I'll just… go." She mumbled, giving Harry a concerned glance. Her eyes flicked to me and I smiled slightly, still pressed against Cedric's side.

"Barty," Dumbledore ordered, "The bag."

"Champions, in a circle round me." Crouch instructed, moving everyone around. "Miss De Lacour, over here. Mr Krum, and uh, Potter, Mr Potter over here, that's right." He paused minutely. "Now," He turned to Fleur, holding the bag he held open in front of her. I didn't miss the small puff of smoke that emerged when it opened. "Miss De Lacour, if you will."

I watched as Fleur reached into the purple bag and pulled out a small green dragon. "The Welsh Green," Mr Crouch announced before turning to Viktor, "Mr Krum," a moment later, a red dragon was in his hand. "The Chinese Fireball, oooooh." He turned again, remaining silent as Cedric reached into the bag, not wincing or even flinching when the dragon's heat stung his skin. I examined the small yellow dragon that rested on the palm of his hand, "The Swedish Short-snout." I squeezed his hand tighter, there was only one left… "Which leaves…"

"The Horntail," Harry breathed.

"What's that boy?" Crouch demanded.

"Nothing," Harry replied, wincing when the last dragon bit at his skin. "The Hungarian Horntail."

Harry's eyes immediately flicked to my own, widening in panic. My head tipped to the side, my expression curious as I gave him a small smile.

"These represent four very real dragons," Crouch explained. "Each of which has been given a golden egg to protect; your objective is simple. Collect the egg, this you must do, for each egg contains a clue without which you cannot hope to proceed to the next task." A short silence followed, "Any questions?"

No answers.

"Very well," Dumbledore cut in, "Good luck, Champions; Mr Diggory, at the sound of the cannon you may –"

_BANG! _

At the sound of the loud, unexpected noise, I shrunk back, a loud hiss of discomfort tearing past my lips. Cedric's arms tightened around me, his breath warm against my skin. When I looked up, his jaw was set in a hard line. I hiccupped quietly and he swallowed almost noisily, his right hand cupped my cheek and his lips twitched when I leaned into his welcome touch; unfortunately, our moment was short lived when the crowd began to shout his name.

"Be careful," I breathed.

"I will," He replied, no louder than me. "I'll be back shortly."

I watched with wide, fearful eyes as he stepped into the arena, I didn't have the courage to watch after that.

Dumbledore led me to a bench so that I could sit down; it was only then that I realized I was shaking. Harry sat next to me and I took his hand in my own, I wasn't even competing so I couldn't even begin to imagine how he must be feeling.

"Harry?" I whispered, exhaling sharply when he pursed his lips. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head and dragged a hand through his messy hair, "I'm anything but okay, I have to battle a dragon."

I shook my head and squeezed his hand, silently begging him to look at me, thankfully, he got my message. "You will be fine." I said, emphasising each word. "You're ready for this, Harry. I know you are. I keep telling you because I know it's true."

He smiled wryly, "So why did you almost break down when Cedric went out there?" He asked, cocking his head upwards just as a loud roar sounded from outside. I forced myself to ignore it, fighting back tears.

"It's different, Harry." I whispered. "I love him, every minute in this tournament I worry for his safety. I have to watch out for you and for him. I have a lot on my shoulders."

He laughed quietly, it was a weary sound. "You don't _have _to look out for me."

I rolled my eyes, "You silly boy, I choose to. You're one of my best friends; I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe. No matter what."

That seemed to make him snap and he dropped his head into his hands, sighing loudly as Fleur wandered out into the arena. I looked up and waited for Cedric to come back, but he didn't walk in. I fought the nerves. It was then that I realized that Dumbledore was gone.

"Thank you," Harry finally whispered. "For everything."

I had an odd sense of déjà vu.

"Harry," I laughed breathlessly, my voice shaking slightly. "How many times do I have to tell you - stop thanking me. I'm doing this for you because you're my friend. Now, lift your head up and brace yourself. You'll be fine and I know you'll make us proud."

He smiled and we floated into silence, watching as Krum wandered out into the arena a few minutes later, his headmaster disappearing almost instantly.

We sat together in silence for an immeasurable amount of time, our fingers intertwined as we waited. When Dumbledore walked into the tent I looked up.

"Amber, you can go and see Cedric now." He mumbled.

I didn't move from where I sat, but I felt my face light up. "Is he okay?"

He nodded, "He just had the nurse tend to him." He explained.

"He was hurt?"

"Minor injuries," He soothed, hearing the sudden hysteric edge to my tone. "Just a few cuts, but he's okay. Now, I think he's more than ready to see you, so why don't you head off and leave me to talk to Harry."

I nodded, my mood brighter now that I got to see Cedric, I turned to Harry who was looking at me with a nervous expression. I kissed his forehead, "You'll be fine, just breathe." He nodded, "I'll see you later, okay? I'll be keeping an eye on you." I mumbled, tapping my forehead before I stood. "Good luck," I chimed before I wandered out of the tent, following the tugging sensation that led me straight to Cedric.

He was leaning against a wall, his eyes downcast. I took in the small rips in his outfit, as well as the minor cuts on his face and arms. I stopped short and twiddled my thumbs in silence, smiling when he looked up, a low sigh escaping his throat. He was in front of me in a matter of seconds, my arms around his neck and his around my waist.

"I told you I'd be back," He said with a smug smile.

"Indeed you did," I replied, "I'm glad you're okay."

He smiled my smile before he pulled me closer, ducking his head and capturing my lips in a searing kiss. I gave myself over to the feeling of being whole, of having him with me again. His warm arms keeping me safe. His tongue traced my bottom lip again and I smiled against his lips, neither of us broke the connection as our lips moved together. A few moments passed before I had to breathe, but I simply settled for pulling back a tiny bit, breathing against his mouth, my lips brushing against his with every breath of air I pulled into my lungs.

"_Three of our Champions have now faced their dragons!" _Dumbledore announced from somewhere and Cedric tugged on my hand, pulling me into the stands with the other two Champions. They both smiled timidly at us as we leaned against the banister. Cedric wrapped his arms around my waist, and I willingly leaned into him. _"And so each one of them will proceed to the next task. And now, our fourth and final contestant."_

I watched in silence as Harry wandered out into the rock-filled arena, seemingly completely oblivious to the giant dragon that watched him with dark, crazed eyes. The gold egg that sat openly in the middle of the arena caught his eye and I realized, as he walked towards it, that the crowd had gone completely silent. Waiting to see when the dragon would make its move.

As if realizing its cue, the Horntail slammed it's sharp, thorned tail against the ground, right behind Harry before swinging it again and missing him by the smallest amount. I immediately leaned forward, my eyes wide, as Harry tumbled down a small slope. I lifted my gaze to the dragon who was angling itself towards him; a loud, angered roar tearing up its monstrous throat. It growled once more before opening its mouth and shooting two violent jets of fire at Harry, who scrambled across the rocky terrain.

The Horntail flapped its large wings and hovered over Harry, slamming its tail down onto the ground again, right next to the young boy. Not hitting its desired mark, the large creature swung its tail again, scooping Harry off the ground and launching him across the arena. I fought back a grimace when he collided with the ground, rolling down another slope and colliding with a large round boulder. The large creature came to rest next to the egg that it had been instructed to guard before a loud roar tore up it's throat once again.

Harry got up again and began to rush across the arena; the Horntail noticed the sudden movement and shifted again before shooting another unrelenting jet of flame at the young boy. Thankfully, Harry slipped behind a wall of jagged rocks before the scolding heat could burn his skin.

"Your wand, Harry!" I heard Hermione scream from somewhere in the crowd, "Your wand!"

Harry seemed to have a moment of realization before he flicked his wand once and with a cry of "Accio Firebolt," he was off and running for the Horntail had found him again. As the giant animal shot another round of fire Harry's way, my eyes travelled skyward and a smile twitched at the corners of my lips when I caught sight of Harry's broom shooting towards him. Without hesitation, as soon as it was close enough, Harry leapt off the ground and landed on his broom, shooting off the ground and towards the egg. He reached out for it, but another attack from the dragon made him change course at the last second.

When the Horntail launched itself into the air to keep on Harry's trail, it came across the hurdle of having itself chained up; but with an almighty tug, the chain snapped as if it was a piece of thread. At the first immediate sign of danger, my lips pulled back from my teeth and a loud snarl ripped past my lips. My fingers curled against the wooden barrier, and Cedric, noticing my sudden hostility, pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arms tight around me as I trembled in his grip.

Free of its restraints, the dragon kept itself right behind Harry, its jaw snapping violently as it gained speed. Its dark eyes positively murderous.

Harry, in a moment of hesitation, flew straight over the teacher's heads, the Horntail following. Its tail ripped through the material cover overhead, before crashing through the rest of the wooden tower.

"Well done, dragon!" I heard the twins cry, but I couldn't bring myself to smile, my heart was still racing in my chest.

As soon as Harry and his dragon were out of sight, silence washed over the arena. We could still hear the enraged roars of the Horntail, but we didn't know what was happening.

When I became as still as a statue in Cedric's arms, they tightened around me. He knew what I was doing. I took a deep breath as I let Harry's sight overtake my own. As soon as that all too familiar blue tint washed over my eyes, I let them slide open.

Harry was jerking about all over the place, I couldn't focus properly. His cries and the complaints of his dragon rang in my ears. When he jerked upwards, my head spun rapidly and my stomach rolled. Reluctantly, I let go of him and gasped for breath when I was looking at the rocky terrain of the arena once again. The world seemed to tip on its axis and I swayed unsteadily, only minutely aware of the hundreds of pairs of eyes that watched me as I sank against Cedric. My skin prickled uncomfortably. The rapid spinning that Harry seemed to be doing made me overly dizzy, because not only was I enduring his wooziness, but also my own.

"Amber!" Cedric hissed, panicked. "Are you okay?" He asked, helping me to stay upright.

"I'm fine," I replied breathlessly, my head still swirling rapidly. "Just a little dizzy."

Cedric pressed his lips against my hair and held me while I righted myself. Once I was able to stand on my own, I looked skyward, waiting for something. I was only met with silence. People began to shift about with worry, murmurs rolling across the group of students as we waited impatiently for something. Anything.

Suddenly, a single figure floated up and over a surrounding hill, leaving a trail of smoke behind them. It was Harry! The crowd roared in relief and exhilaration as Harry dove straight down to the egg and scooped it up.

I giggled and clapped like a maniac, just happy that my friend had survived. Cedric's arms tightened around my waist as he laughed at my reaction.

* * *

Cedric and I wandered up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room once the First Task had been completed. Harry was no doubt already in the tower, receiving congratulations and such. Cedric and I had been stopped constantly by Huffelpuff students, wanting to shake his hand and tell him how fantastic he was.

"What a day," Cedric breathed, his fingers squeezing my own.

"I'm just glad that you don't have to fight any more dragons." I breathed, turning to him once we reached the Fat Lady; once again, she turned away. Cedric smiled at me as I took his face in my hands, gazing intently into his blue-green eyes. "Now, I want you to go back to your common room and rest, okay?" He went to talk but I cut him off, "No complaining, please, just relax for me, please?"

He smiled my smile before capturing my lips in a passionate kiss. I melted into him, my arms wrapping around his neck. Our moment was short lived when loud cheers came from the other side of the door we were standing next to.

Cedric chuckled under his breath. "You should go in, sounds like there's a celebration going on."

I rolled my bright green eyes, "I can only imagine."

"I'll see you in the morning," He promised before kissing me again, leaving me breathless before he walked back the way we had come.

I ran my hands through my hair and mumbled the password, stumbling through the threshold, giggling at my silliness.

"Yes, Harry!"

"Knew you wouldn't die, Harry!

"Lose an arm,"

"Or a leg,"

"Pack it in all together?"

"Never!"

I laughed at Fred and George who had Harry perched on their shoulders, bouncing him around. Harry looked up at me and smiled brightly, happy to see that I'd made it in time.

I watched as the bright gold egg got passed along the crowd of people, before ending up in Seamus' hands. "Shush!" He cried before kissing the egg and tossing it to Harry.

"Go on, Harry! What's the clue?"

Harry stared at the egg for a moment before he spoke. "Who wants me to open it?" He asked, grinning when the Gryffindor students cheered madly. "Do you want me to open it?" Another loud reaction.

As soon as Harry's hand touched the top of the egg, my muscles locked, and for good reason. When the egg opened, a high pitched, ear splitting screech echoed throughout the room. With my enhanced hearing, the sound was ten times worse and I gritted my teeth, an enraged hiss ripping through my teeth as I fell to my knees. My head still ringing long after Harry had slammed the object shut.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

We all looked up to see Ron standing awkwardly in the doorway, shuffling his feet.

"Alright everyone, go back to your knitting." George spoke up, "This is going to be uncomfortable enough without all you nosy sods listening in."

I stayed curled up on the ground as the others walked to different sections of the common room, I couldn't seem to unlock my muscles.

"Amber?" I heard Fred ask, his fingers brushing across my shoulder, "You okay?"

"Yeah," I breathed, surprised at how quiet my voice sounded. "A little help would be nice."

He chuckled quietly and helped me stand upright; I shook my head rapidly from side to side, sighing in relief as the ringing in my ears faded away.

"So," George began as we sat down on the couch. My gaze flicked to the fire for a moment, I could feel the heat from it warm my body. "How are things with the boyfriend?"

I felt my cheeks flush and the two boys laughed at me.

"Leave her alone, George." Fred chimed, "She's too busy thinking about Mr. Diggory."

"Shut up," I mumbled, elbowing him in the ribs. "Things with Cedric are good, better than good, even."

"Have you kissed him yet?" Fred asked.

I grinned, "Duh."

"Oh gross."

We continued to tease each other and our laughter rang through the common room until the late hours of the night.

* * *

**BWA: Yay! They did it!  
Harry: .. That wasn't so bad.  
Emmett: See? You worried for nothing.  
Amber: That egg hurt my ears... -Pouts-  
Cedric: Aww.. -Cuddles-  
BWA: -Giggles- Oh, it was funny.. I was thinking about the Half-Blood Prince this morning, because I haven't seen it yet; and I found myself wondering how Amber would fit into that. Haa! That one should be great fun to write.  
Amber: Woo!  
BWA: Well.. I can't think of anything else to say.. I had a total mind blank.  
Emmett: -Laughs- Well, leave us a review, kay?  
BWA: Yep! I'll update again within the next day or so, I promise!  
Harry: -Holds out golden egg- Want me to open it?  
Amber: Nooooo! -Whines-**

* * *


	8. Our Song

**_

* * *

_**

BWA: -Waves- Welcome back! It's great to see you!  
Emmett: Pretty quick update..  
BWA: I know! -Grins- I promised I'd update quicker this time, and I did!  
Amber: Why is Harry on the TV?  
BWA: What? -Turns- Oh! My brother is watching the Goblet of Fire. Ironic, no?  
Amber: -Giggles-  
BWA: Well, Harry and Ron are no longer fighting! Yay! So, that makes things a little easier for Amber... just a little.  
Amber: Great.  
BWA: Also, I really wanted this chapter to have a lot of cute moments, and things that will make you smile. So, hopefully it works! The calm before the storm I suppose, because things will get worse soon... Very soon.  
Cedric: -Whines-  
BWA: Oh, also; in about three or so chapters... There's a Cedric chapter! -Gasp- That's right! CPOV!  
Cedric: Performance anxiety.....  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: Well, I guess we've kept you long enough! Oh, I also realize that I don't show disclaimers as often as I should... Here's the solution!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. Amber, Bella and her family belong to me.

_

* * *

_

_Chapter eight  
Our Song_

"Look at this!" Hermione fumed as we sat in the great hall, eating breakfast as the owls brought our mail. I looked up at her with a small smile on my face. "I can't believe it," She continued, pressing the newspaper down onto the table. "She's done it again."

Harry and I shared a glance before we looked back at Hermione, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Miss Granger," She began, her eyes glued to Rita Skeeter's newest column. "A plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards." Her anger and frustration practically soaked her words as she read. "Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian Bon-Bon, Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter is taking his latest emotional blow."

I laughed quietly, my eyes flicking over the page. "What a way to start the day, don't you think?"

She rolled her eyes and nudged me with her shoulder.

"Parcel for you, Mr Weasley." A young boy announced, holding a large wrapped box.

"Ah, thank you, Nigel." Ron replied, taking the box out of his hands. I stared at the young boy who had yet to walk away, was he waiting for something? His eyes flicked from Harry to me to Hermione and then to Ron.

Hermione leaned to the side and cleared her throat quietly, capturing Ron's attention. I watched with an amused expression as Ron turned to the younger student again, who was now staring, somewhat expectantly, at Harry.

"Not now, Nigel." Ron murmured, "Later."

When Nigel gave up with a sigh and walked away, Ron answered our unspoken questions with a guilty expression.

"I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph."

I chuckled, shaking my head. Harry and Ron had spoken about their problems and everything had been sorted, it still boggled my mind, how after that, it seemed like nothing had changed. We were back to being the same old group of friends that we'd always been. Closer than anything.

"Oh, look; Mum's sent me something!" Ron chimed, opening the wrapped box and bringing me out of my thoughts. I watched, fighting off giggles as he pulled out a large brown piece of frilled material. "Mum sent me a dress…"

"Well, it does match your eyes," Harry teased. "Is there a bonnet?" He asked, reaching into the box and pulling out a piece of frilled white material that obviously went with the ensemble. "A-ha."

"Oh, pretty," I chimed.

"Nose down, Harry." Ron mumbled with a smile before walking over to his younger sister who looked up at him, her spoon halfway to her mouth. "Ginny, these must be for you."

Ginny looked over the outfit before looking at Ron with well-hidden horror, "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly."

Hermione suddenly started giggling next to me, my green eyes flicked to her, dancing with curiosity.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked, wandering back to us.

"They're not for Ginny," She replied. "They're for _you_."

The entire Gryffindor table and everyone else who had bothered to listen in broke out in laughter. I giggled quietly, my lips pulled up in a large grin as my eyes sparkled with unconcealed amusement.

Hermione spoke above the laughter, her face just as bright with amusement as mine. "Dress robes." She explained, still laughing.

"Dress robes?" Ron asked; his expression one of disgusted shock. "For what?"

* * *

"The Yule ball has been a tradition of the… Triwizard Tournament, since its inception." Professor McGonagall explained as we sat in an empty room, two sets of bleachers rested against the walls on either side. The girls on one side and the boys on the other. Filch fussed over a large Gramophone behind her.

"On Christmas Eve Night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward – and I mean this literally, because; The Yule Ball is first and foremost, a dance."

The girls surrounding Hermione and I jumped into rushed conversation, immediately revolving around dresses and dates and music and such. The boys merely groaned in reply as I let a small, but excited smile tug at my lips.

"Silence!" McGonagall ordered, raising her hands, quiet washed over the room. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. I have will not have you in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling, band of Baboons."

I fought back a laugh.

Try saying that five times fast.

Ha.

"Now, to dance is to let the body _breathe_," She continued. "Inside every girl a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight." She turned, "Inside every boy a lordly lion prepared to prance. Mr Weasley?"

"Yes?" Ron replied in a small voice, sinking into his chair as the Professor walked over to him.

"Will you join me, please?"

As Ron got up, most of the boys chimed an "Ooh," just to torment him.

"Now," McGonagall began once they'd come to a stop in the middle of the room. "Place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?" Ron asked nervously, his eyes widening.

"My waist," She replied, waiting. Someone wolf-whistled as she spoke, "And extend your arm," When Ron finally did what he was told, she called out. "Mr. Filch, if you please."

I watched in amusement as Professor McGonagall led Ron around in a circle, continuing on when he made a mistake. Fred and George would never, _ever _let him forget this.

Neither would I.

"Everybody come together," McGonagall called, and suddenly, all the girls were standing, eager to dance. Hermione tugged me out of my seat and I chuckled quietly, rolling my eyes. "Boys! On your feet!"

All the boys shared bored, nervous glances at each other as we watched in amusement – well, I did anyway, - But a large smile spread on my face as quiet young Neville Longbottom stood up, rather confidently I might add, and walked over to Ginny, taking her hand and waiting for instruction.

That seemed to trigger the rest of them; they got up separately or in groups, daring each other to go and find a partner. Fred and George strutted out into the ever growing crowd of students; they grinned and pointed at people as they walked. They bumped their fists together before parting, Fred walked over to me with a grin.

Hermione paired up with Harry and a few minutes later, everyone had a partner. The music started again and we all stepped in a large circle. Mum and I had taken dancing lessons over the holidays, we learnt how to waltz, salsa and then… for some odd reason, we took a hip hop class. It was fun. We normally did silly, spontaneous things like that, Mum and me. Dad came one time, oh… now that was a fun day.

Fred and I, being the goofballs that we were, started singing a completely different tune to the one that was playing. We laughed when we stepped on each others feet and then we just laughed for no reason. We weren't the only ones though; lots of other Gryffindor's were dealing with the aches and pains of having their feet trodden on. I was normally a good dancer, but Fred turned me into an uncoordinated giggle-pot.

Eventually, we found our footing – pun totally intended - and actually got the dance right without bruising each others toes. We even gave ourselves the luxury of doing a little victory dance afterwards. It was, all in all, a very enjoyable lesson.

Once we were dismissed from out dancing lesson, the classroom emptied after a few short moments, the girls talking animatedly to each other once again about everything that came with dancing. Dresses, makeup, shoes, jewellery, dates…

Sigh. It was all very monotonous.

Unlike the others, I stayed in the large –now empty- room, a small smile playing on my face as I wandered around. Ending up at the gramophone after a while, I ran my hand along the large horn thing, feeling the texture of it under my hand. I blew some dust from it and laughed when it puffed in a large bubble, tickling my nose.

Without my notice, I found myself staring out the window, unsure of how I got there - obviously I walked, but I didn't take notice. I must have drifted out for a short moment. I took in the shade of the Black Lake as the sunlight shimmered off it. I watched the small, puffy white clouds float aimlessly across the sky, as if they had all the time in the world to reach their destination, so they decided to slow down and enjoy the scenery. A few owls swooped through the sky in a group; their graceful movements had me watching in awed silence.

I faintly heard a set of footfalls pad almost silently down the corridor, slowing as they became louder, a low thumping noise echoed inside my head. _Thump-thump, thump-thump. _So it surprised me when the low, seductively innocent voice of my other half broke me from my thoughts.

"You look beautiful in the sunlight."

I whirled around to see Cedric, his bronze hair windblown from being outside in the warm breeze, his beautiful eyes bright with excitement for some unknown reason and his lips pulled up unevenly into my beloved lop-sided smile. He stood in the large arched doorway, his head cocked to the side as he more or less likely wondered why I was in an empty classroom, staring out the window.

"I'm sorry," He added, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Cedric," I breathed, walking towards him in somewhat of a daze. He stepped forward and enveloped me in his arms, burying his face into my hair. Nothing else mattered when I was with Cedric, only me and him. Existing together, two people, young, happy…

And hopelessly in love.

His arms loosened from around my waist to take my hands, I lifted my gaze and stepped back to get a better look at his angelic face.

"What, may I ask, are you doing in here by yourself?" He asked, his eyes dancing with curious amusement.

I laughed lightly, my cheeks reddening. "I don't know, I just… didn't feel the need to leave." I admitted, "I let my thoughts wander."

"And where did they wander to?" He asked, his smile turning into a playful smirk.

I blew a strand of hair from my eyes before I answered, "I'm not sure, I wasn't paying attention."

He laughed and led me into the middle of the room, shaking his head. "You silly girl, what I wouldn't give to know what goes on inside your head."

I giggled quietly, "Be grateful you can't read minds, even I have trouble with my thoughts sometimes… there's simply too many of them."

He laughed again and pulled his wand out of his pocket, he flicked it in the direction of the gramophone once before putting it back and stepping away from me. I watched with curious eyes which widened when he bent forward, holding his hand out and looking at me from under his lashes as he bowed in a very old-fashioned gesture.

"Miss Dawson, would you care to dance?" He asked, no louder than a whisper as a piano began to play softly from behind us.

I blushed lightly and placed my hand in his own; our fingers laced together as he pulled me close, his free arm wound around my waist as I stared up at him in awe. Slowly, we began to dance.

_You're in my arms  
And all the world is calm  
The music playing on for only two_

Cedric smiled softly as we turned, his beautiful eyes shining as they bored into my own. The singer lulled us into our own little world; the soft piano was joined by the beautiful humming chorus of a violin.

_So close together  
And when I'm with you  
So close to feeling alive_

The music became more meaningful, louder, yet still gentle and soft. It was then that we began to twirl around the room, needing no guidance. We danced with our hearts.

_A life goes by  
Romantic dreams must die  
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
So close was waiting, waiting here with you  
And now forever I know  
All that I wanted to hold you  
So close_

I melted into Cedric's arms as the chorus floated through the air; I rested my head against his chest, inhaling his scent. It was so unique, and so simply _him. _I didn't think it possible that someone as perfect and loving and as gentle as Cedric could ever be meant for me. My heart fluttered in my chest and I smiled as our interlaced fingers unconsciously squeezed tighter.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end  
Almost believing this one's not pretend  
And now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
So far we are so close_

This song reminded me so much of Cedric and myself; I had to constantly remind myself that I wasn't dreaming, and that I really had found my soul mate. Every time I looked at him I thrilled to the fact that he was mine, we'd come so far in such a short amount of time; and no matter how far apart from each other we were, our hearts beat as one, we were closer than I'd ever dreamed of. I wouldn't have it any other way.

_How could I face the faceless days  
If I should lose you now?_

The words seemed to have some sort of meaning to Cedric, for his arms tightened unconsciously around me, holding me closer. I knew what he was feeling. What we had… it wasn't the usual love; if one was taken out of the picture, the other would surely perish. Unable to live, losing the will to face the light of day when the reason for their existence was gone. Nevertheless, we continued to spin gracefully around the room.

_We're so close  
To reaching that famous happy end  
And almost believing this one's pretend  
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are  
So close  
So close  
And still so far_

Our dance came to an end as the last few notes of the song faded into silence. We stood perfectly still, not wanting to break the moment. But after a few moments, I wound my arms around his torso, hugging him to me. He chuckled into my hair and his warm arms slid fluidly around my waist.

"You're an exceptional dancer, love." He breathed into my ear; I could hear the smile in his voice when I trembled.

"You're not too bad yourself." I replied.

"Amber, I want to ask you something."

"Anything," I breathed.

He laughed quietly and stepped back, holding only my hands; he smiled at the expression on my face. I wanted him closer…

He whispered my name as he trailed the backs of his fingers down my cheek, unconsciously, I leaned into his touch. "Will you be my date for the Yule Ball?" He asked.

I felt a smile spread across my face and I nodded, giggling quietly at the relief that soaked the sigh that spilled past his lips before he ducked his head, pressing his soft lips to my own.

Our moment went completely undisturbed as we stood there, twined together, our lips moving together.

Oh, how I loved him.

* * *

**BWA: Awww!  
Emmett: -Sigh- That was cute.  
Amber: -Is a puddle on the floor-  
Emmett: Clean up in aisle four!  
BWA: Why aisle four?  
Emmett: It's the fourth story. And she's in her fourth year.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Smooth.  
Emmett: Of course.  
BWA: -Looks at Cedric- I never knew you were such a romantic.  
Cedric: You made me that way.  
BWA: -Grins- I did, didn't I? Ooooh! I'm going to see the Half-Blood Prince today! I'm so excited!  
Harry: Now, I think I'm the one with performance anxiety..  
Cedric: We'll suffer together..  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Well, that's about it from us. I'll update again as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I'm back at school in a few days, so the gap in between chapters will get a little bigger.  
Emmett: -Looks at TV screen- Hey, Cedric; check it out! It's you!  
Cedric: -Grins-**

* * *


	9. The Yule Ball

**_

* * *

_**

Emmett: Welcome! It's great to see that everyone could make it!  
BWA: Yes! Tonight is the night of the Yule Ball. You all look gorgeous!  
Amber: Have you got a date? Oh! I love your dress! -Giggles-  
BWA: Quickly stepping away from the Yule Ball for a moment, I forgot to tell you the name of the song that Cedric and Amber danced to in the last chapter. It's called "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin.  
Emmett: Amber, I must say that you look absolutely stunning.  
Amber: -Blushes- Thanks.  
BWA: Well, it seems that the excitement for the coming celebration is all we seem to be able to talk about. Harry and the others are off somewhere getting ready. -Giggles- Poor Ron..  
Emmett: He has some scary looking dress robes doesn't he?  
BWA: He does. Well, we won't keep you any longer! Go and tend to any finishing touches on your outfits!

_

* * *

_

_Chapter nine  
The Yule Ball_

The weeks passed rather lazily, every day brought the Yule Ball that much closer, and the closer it got, the more nervous the students became. One particular afternoon, Ron had told me about his frustration when it came to girls "Packing together," as he put it. Meaning that it made the task of singling one out to ask them almost impossible… well… unless you enjoyed having holes burnt into your skin from the glares that you would get from that particular girl's friends. I had merely laughed.

I also took notice of the fact that Viktor Krum had taken a particular liking to Hermione, although she didn't believe me when I'd voiced my thoughts on the matter. Until that one particular day… Silly girl.

"This is mad," Ron muttered one afternoon during a study session. "At this rate, we'll be the only ones in our year without dates."

I glanced up from my book with a smirk as Snape pushed Ron's head forward. Harry, who sat to my right, bumped my shoulder as we looked at our friend with amused expressions; my smirk grew when Ron spoke again.

"Well… us and Neville."

"Yeah," Harry replied, "But then again he can take himself."

Hermione leaned forward slightly so that we could share a glance before she spoke, "It might interest you to know that Neville's already got someone."

"Aw," Ron sighed. "Now I'm really depressed…"

I turned back to my page just as the whisper of paper floating through the air reached my ears. My eyes flicked to Fred for half a second before they shot back to the piece of paper in Ron's hand, the smile on Fred's face made a smile tug at my lips as his younger brother read his message.

"Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone." Ron paused for a moment, checked over his shoulder to make sure that Snape wasn't within earshot before he turned back to his brothers who were now both wearing smirks on their cheeky faces. "Who you going with then?" He asked.

Fred shot us a look before he scrunched up a piece of paper and launched it at Angelina, a girl in the Quidditch team. "Oi, Angelina?" He whispered.

"What?" She hissed.

And then, Fred replied by silently asking if she wanted to go to the ball with him, complete with movements and everything.

"The Ball?" She whispered when he was done. "Yeah, alright."

Fred winked at us.

Harry and I shared a glance before Ron tried Fred's technique on… Hermione?

"Hermione," He began. "You're a girl."

Hermione turned to almost glare at him, "Well spotted," She spat.

I didn't pay attention to the rest, Snape was walking towards us, Harry and I both knew what was going to happen, so we tried to stop Ron from talking, but to no avail. Snape whacked him in the back of the head with a book, and then did the same to Harry.

"Come on," Ron continued once Snape was out of earshot. "It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone, but for a girl it's just sad."

A low growl rumbled in the back of my throat, but no one paid me any mind. I wasn't going to hurt anyone. But Hermione might…

"I won't be going alone, because believe it or not someone's asked me." She spat through her teeth, getting up and handing her book to Snape before grabbing her remaining books. "And I said yes!" She hissed before she turned and walked out of the Great Hall.

I ran a hand through my hair and ignored the rest of their moping about not having dates; they agreed to both have a date by tonight.

Good luck, boys.

* * *

That night, Hermione and I sat on the long couch in the Common Room, the warmth of the fire made my toes tingle. Bella sat, perched on my shoulder as she lovingly nipped at my hair, her beak brushing against my cheek every now and again; I smiled and stroked her feathered cheek.

Harry wandered in a few moments later, stumbling over the threshold in some sort of a daze.

"What's up with you?" I asked, curiosity flitting across my face as he slumped into the single chair, a dreamy smile on his lips.

He didn't answer; it's as if he didn't notice me. So, I sought the answer myself.

I saw a young, black haired girl through my blue tinted eyes; she was up in the owlery, standing on the stairs. I couldn't remember her name, but Harry's memory answered my question.

Cho Chang.

I giggled breathlessly as I let his memories fade, I couldn't see the Common Room through his eyes because he was reliving his earlier moments.

"So, it looks like you got yourself a date," I muttered.

"What?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book.

I turned to her, my face lit up with Harry's leftover joy, "Harry asked Cho Chang to the Ball, and she said yes."

"Oh," she replied with a giggle.

The room fell into silence again for a few seconds before the creak of the door announced a small group's arrival. We all shot out of our seats when we heard Ginny reassuring someone.

"Its okay, Ron. It's alright, it… it doesn't matter." She soothed.

I turned to see Ron fall limply into a chair, his face was disturbingly pale, he looked like he was about to throw up. I leaned against the arm of the couch, wanting to keep a distance just in case he brought his dinner up.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked as he walked over.

Ginny looked up at us. "He just asked Fleur De Lacour out," she explained.

"What?" Hermione breathed, kneeling in front of our silent friend.

"What did she say?" Harry asked, eager to hear.

"No, of course," Hermione answered.

Ron shook his head.

"She said _yes_?" She gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I added.

"Don't be silly," Ron replied, his voice quiet. "There she was, walking by… you know how I like it when they walk."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"I couldn't help it," He continued. "It just sort of slipped out."

"Actually," Ginny corrected, "He sort of screamed at her… it was a bit frightening."

"Well, what did you do then?" Harry asked in a whisper.

Ron looked up at us with wide, depressed eyes. "What else? I ran for it. I'm not cut out for this, Harry."

Hermione and I shared a glance as Ron continued to ramble, but I faintly took notice of the Patil twins saying hello to Harry. When my friend's blue eyes shot to my own, I knew we had just shared the same thought.

"Hey!" Harry called after them.

Ta-da!

* * *

I hummed tunelessly to myself as I placed another bobby pin in my hair, pushing more of it away from my face. It was the night of the Yule Ball and I was placing the finishing touches on my outfit.

My dress was snow white, strapless and flowed all the way down to my feet. A thin layer of tulle covered the white silk skirt; tiny black circles were dotted across the material. The bodice of the dress hugged tight and was covered in an intricate pattern of black flowers, all strung together by vines and such. The pattern flowed down from the top of the bodice which was pitch black and hugged tight to my chest; tiny crystals were embroidered into the material.

Hermione had helped me with my hair, we had curled it even more than normal and pinned it back so that it was off my face but it still cascaded down my back in a mane of unruly curls. A beautiful silver tiara rested on my head, a row of four silver flowers made the base and then two more rested on top, I carefully traced one of the smooth, silver petals with my finger. Relishing in the silky smooth texture of it. I stuck one of my feet out and eyed my shoes; they were a simple white heeled shoe with a peep toe and a tiny little black bow on them.

With a smile, I rested my hand over the tiny emerald stone attached to the silver chain around my neck. It seemed like a lifetime ago that my mother had bought this for me in my first year at Hogwarts.

A small timid knock on the door broke me from my thoughts.

"Amber?" Hermione's voice called from outside. "Are you in there?"

"Yeah, I'm in here." I replied, watching as the door cracked open. "Did you need something?"

She stepped inside and gaped at me for a few moments. "Amber, you look beautiful."

My cheeks warmed and I walked over to her, "Thank you; I'm not the only one."

She laughed quietly, "Thanks, I'm so nervous, though."

I rolled my eyes, "Hermione, there's nothing to be nervous about. For one night, just let go and enjoy yourself. You'll turn heads tonight. I promise."

Hermione smiled and turned her back to me, "Can you help me with this?"

I fastened a few things on Hermione's soft pink dress, her hair was already done, it was the opposite of mine. Instead of falling down her back, it was piled on top of her head. It looked stunning.

"Okay," I breathed once she was ready, "I have to get going." I rested my hands on her shoulders, "Now you listen to me. You're going to go downstairs, meet up with your date and you're going to be beautiful and confident and we're going to dance the night away." I explained.

A high pitched giggle burst past her lips and she flung her arms around my waist, hugging me. "I'll see you downstairs." She promised as I made my way out the door.

* * *

When I reached the last set of stairs that led down to the Great Hall, I paused, took a deep breath and then stepped into view. I tried my hardest to ignore the heads that turned in my direction, my eyes scanning for only one person.

It didn't take me long to find the person that I was looking for.

Cedric stood in the centre of the small room, looking absolutely dazzling in his black and white dress robes. His hair was combed back but it still didn't give in to being completely overruled, his eyes were alight and absolutely breathtaking as they normally were. It made my heart flutter to know that he only had eyes for me.

I made sure that I took very careful steps as I walked down the remaining stairs for my legs had turned to jelly. Cedric met me halfway across the room, simply gazing down at me with so much love that it made me want to cry. He slowly raised his hand and stroked the backs of his fingers down my cheek, smiling when I leaned into the welcome touch. We were in our little bubble again.

"Amber," He whispered. "You look so beautiful; there aren't words to describe how gorgeous you are."

I giggled quietly, "Why thank you. You clean up rather well, if I do say so myself."

He gently took my hand and raised it to his lips; placing a kiss on my skin. I smiled at him and he smiled his silly, lop-sided smile in return.

We turned when Fleur and her date walked over to us. Fleur looked stunning, as usual.

"Amber," She began, her words heavily coated with her French accent. "You look beautiful."

I smiled at her, "So do you," I replied.

She smiled warmly and turned to Cedric, "You're a lucky man, Cedric."

Cedric beamed, "I know."

After a few minutes of conversation, Fleur and her date moved along to greet the others and I managed to get a decent look at Harry and Ron who were standing with Professor McGonagall. Harry looked a little panicked but Cho looked perfectly at ease on his arm. I had a feeling that the Professor was telling him that the four Champions were the first to dance. Ron and Harry spoke for a few moments before Ron and his date wandered into the Great Hall.

Cedric pressed his lips to my temple, recapturing my attention, "Hermione's here." He breathed.

I smiled at him before I moved my gaze to the top of the stairs where Hermione's head peeked out from behind the wall. She found my eager eyes and smiled before she walked into view. She looked just as beautiful as Fleur in her pink dress.

I watched as Viktor moved to stand at the bottom of the stairs, he held out his hand for Hermione who exhaled quietly and averted her gaze before placing her small hand in his. The two of them came to stand before us as we lined up, Fleur and her partner were first in line, followed by Viktor and Hermione, Cedric and I stood behind them and Harry and Cho were at the end. I nudged the small of Hermione's back and she giggled. Cedric looped his arm through mine and we shared a glance before the large double wooden doors that had been closed, swung open and welcomed us into the Great Hall.

We were met with the applause of our fellow students, but I barely paid attention to it. An awed smile pulled at my lips as my eyes flew around the room, taking in the beautiful sight. It looked like the middle of winter, snow covered everything and there were icicles that didn't melt drooping from most of the surfaces in the room. Everything was as white as my dress. I guess I had chosen a rather appropriate outfit. A large, snow covered Christmas tree sat at the front of the Great Hall, adding to the fact that it was Christmas the following day. I looked up to see snow falling, but not reaching the ground.

It was incredible.

We came to a stop in the middle of a large clearing, where we had to dance. Cedric's hand rested on the curve of my waist and his other hand took my own while my free hand rested on his shoulder. When the music started we jumped into motion, moving as gracefully as we had that day in the empty classroom. I grinned when Cedric suddenly lifted me up and smiled up at me before gently setting me on the ground. As people began to join us on the dance floor, the more fun it became. Cedric and I spun together, falling into the magic that surrounded us so completely, letting the music lead us.

My eyes never drifted from the brilliance of his.

* * *

"Are you ready?!?!"

The band played on and the large group of students that gathered around the stage continued jumping, laughing, spinning and all. I was having the time of my life.

Cedric grinned at me as I raised my hands above my head and swung my hips to the crazy rhythm of the music. I saw Fred do a stupid move from the corner of my eye which made me break out into laughter. Cedric looked over to the tall boy and caught the end of his move, his eyes were full of amusement when they found mine again.

When the song finished, Cedric led me over to a table and chairs, he sat down on a chair and then pulled me onto his lap. I smiled and relaxed against him.

"Having fun?" He asked, his warm breath hitting my cheek.

I turned to look at him, "You have no idea, this is absolutely fantastic."

Cedric chuckled quietly before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to my own in a loving kiss. I heard a wolf-whistle come from somewhere, so when we broke apart, I glanced towards the noise and was met with Fred and George grinning at me. I poked my tongue out at them before my eyes moved to the dance floor.

"Harry looks happy," I mumbled, watching him dance with Cho; he deserved a night to relax after everything that had happened so far. Even Ron looked as though he was enjoying himself.

"Yeah, but I don't think anyone is as happy as me right now." He added, smiling when I laughed. "Have I mentioned how breathtakingly beautiful you look tonight?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes and took his hand in my own, twining our fingers. "You might have."

He laughed again and squeezed my hand, "I love you, Amber."

My heart fluttered before I nuzzled my nose against his cheek "I love you, too."

A new song started and Cedric grinned, "Want to dance again?"

I giggled and smiled at him, "Let's do it."

* * *

The rest of the night was absolutely fabulous, we all danced again, jumping around and singing along to the music. I got to talk to Viktor a little, it was difficult to try and piece his slurred words together, Hermione couldn't stop laughing.

Fred and George managed to start a conga line at one point, so, unable to help myself, I joined in.

Harry was all smiles with Cho by his side all night; it was really sweet, and Cho looked just as pleased.

But eventually, the night had to come to a close; people began to get tired as the night stretched on. I didn't want to go to bed, but I knew I'd regret it if I stayed up.

"Tonight was fun," Cedric commented as we walked up the last flight of stairs, our hands swinging in between us.

I laughed, remembering some of the things we did. "We should have a ball every year." I suggested.

He chuckled when we stopped outside the door, "Get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow morning." He soothed, cupping my cheek.

I leaned into his hand as I gazed up at him, "Kay."

He smiled my favourite, lop-sided smile before our lips met, moving together. His other arm wound around my waist and he tugged me upwards, holding our bodies together. I made a small noise against his lips and he gasped quietly before pulling away. His brilliant eyes bright.

"Okay, I'll let you go, now."

I giggled breathlessly, "You don't have to."

He rolled his eyes, "On the contrary, I do." He kissed my forehead and squeezed my hand before turning and walking to his own Common Room as I stumbled over the threshold, dazed.

Unfortunately, my joy was short lived.

I could distantly hear Harry's laboured breathing and his racing heartbeat upstairs, another nightmare.

I didn't have time to think about it, so, without hesitation, I leaned against the wall and blinked, my eyes re-opening to a completely different scene. One that was fogged and blurred due to the panic of the dreamer.

_A snow covered cemetery with a large stone statue, an exact replica of the Grim Reaper. But the scene changed before I could study it further._

_The same, barely lit hallway from the dream that seemed so long ago now, figures looming around the single chair. This time, it was different._

"_Let me see it again!" That frail, whispery voice demanded, and the man I didn't recognise, obeyed the order, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a tattoo that looked all too familiar. "Ah, yes." The voice praised. "The time is close now." _

_Then, instead of mentioning the Muggle caretaker, it was something entirely different again._

"_Harry!" The voice gasped, "At last!" _

_Wormtail…_

"_Stand aside, Wormtail, so I can give our guest a proper greeting."_

_Silence followed as the two of us stared at the visible faces before we were overcome by a familiar, sickly green light._

_Then we were staring at the roof._

Knowing that Harry had woken up, I dropped his sight, leaning my head back against the wall as I gasped for breath. I hadn't watched Harry's dreams for a long time, and it was almost surprising to remember how much they exhausted me.

As I walked up the steps to my dorm, I realized that happiness could only last for so long.

Soon, things were going to get worse.

A lot worse.

* * *

**Emmett: Poor Harry..  
BWA: Mmm.. But, you knew it was coming.  
Amber: The ball was so much fun!  
BWA: Oh, it was fabulous!  
Hermione: My feet are sore.  
BWA: That's what you get for dancing non-stop in those heels.  
Hermione: It was worth it.  
Emmett: Where are the others?  
Amber: I'm not sure.. I think they're in the kitchen?  
Emmett: All that dancing made them hungry, huh?  
Hermione: They're boys. What do you expect?  
Emmett: Ha! I see your point.  
BWA: Okay, for those who want to have a look, Amber's outfit can be found on my profile.  
Amber: Yay!  
BWA: Well... I for one, am pretty tired from all that dancing. But it was very fun! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves! You still look fabulous, not a hair out of place.  
Emmett: Leave us a review and tell us what you think!  
BWA: Yes please! Okay, well, go and rest your feet! We'll see you again real soon!**

* * *


	10. Clues

**_

* * *

_**

BWA: Hey, it's great to have you back. Did you take plenty of photos at the Yule Ball?  
Emmett: Yes!  
BWA: That's good. Well, unfortunatley, the fun and games have to end for a while since we're getting closer to the Second Task.  
Harry: I normally like eggs for breakfast, but this egg is annoying the hell out of me.  
Amber: Good thing you figure it out in this chapter, huh?  
Harry: I do?  
BWA: Yup.  
Harry: Woo hoo!  
Amber: ....So..  
Emmett: Come here often?  
BWA: -Giggles- Wow. We seem to have run out of things to talk about, so we'll let you read.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. Amber belongs to me.

_

* * *

_

_Chapter ten  
Clues_

"Harry, you told me you figured the egg out _weeks _ago!" Hermione scolded as the three of us stood on the old wooden bridge. "The task is _two days _from now."

"Really? I had no idea." Harry replied, his voice laced heavily with sarcasm. "I suppose Viktor's already figured it out?"

"I don't know, we don't really talk about the Tournament." Hermione replied as I stood by them in silence, my thoughts in overdrive. "Actually, we don't even talk at all. Viktor's more of a physical being." The sudden comment pulled me from my thoughts, I turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised. She took in our expressions before we started laughing. "I just mean he's not particularly loquacious." She blushed slightly before she continued on, "Mostly he watches me study…"

"Creepy," I muttered.

She smiled at me, "It's a bit annoying, actually." Suddenly, the cheerful mood disappeared and Hermione's face became full of concern. "You are trying to figure this egg out, aren't you?" She asked in a small voice.

Harry's reply was sharp. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It just means that these tasks are designed to test you," She explained. "In the most brutal way, they're almost cruel…And, um…" She paused and then leaned against the railing again. "I'm scared for you. You got by the dragons mostly on nerve, but I'm not sure if it's going to be enough this time."

While Hermione spoke, I rested my hand on Harry's arm, he knew that I understood. I was doing my best to help.

"Hey, Potter!"

We all turned to the sound of the familiar voice, and my nerves eased as soon as I saw Cedric jogging down the bridge towards Harry, who was walking in the other direction. Hermione sighed and I glanced at her, patting her shoulder comfortingly.

"Potter!" Cedric called again, stopping in the middle of the bridge.

"Cedric," Harry acknowledged curtly.

Hermione made a motion to let me know that she was leaving; I nodded and smiled slightly in response, listening to the conversation between the two boys.

"How… how are you?" Cedric asked quietly.

"Spectacular," Harry replied after a few moments hesitation. The tone of his voice reminded me of someone saying; _are you serious? _

"Look, I realise that I never really thanked you properly for tipping me off about those dragons," Cedric said.

"Forget about it," Harry replied. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"Exactly," Cedric assured him. I could almost imagine the right side of his mouth pull up higher into my smile. But unfortunately, I was looking out at the mountains, not his face. "You know the Prefects bathroom on the fifth floor?" Silence followed, and I got the feeling that Harry was nodding. "It's not a bad place for a bath." I smiled as his voice drew closer to me, "Just, take your egg and mull things over in the hot water."

I listened to the footsteps that grew closer, a smile on my face. I giggled quietly when a soft pair of lips kissed the side of my neck. "That was nice of you," I breathed as he glided his nose along my jaw, his hands resting on the curve of my waist.

"It was about time I returned the favour." He mumbled, pulling me into his warm embrace. "It was the least I could do."

"Mhm," I replied as he nuzzled his nose into my hair.

"You don't seem as worried about the Second Task." He noted as I leaned into him.

I laughed tiredly, "I may not look it, but I'm freaking out right now. I'm always worried, even though I know you can take care of yourself." I sighed, "Still, I can't help but be even a little anxious."

He made a small noise before I felt his lips press against my hair. "At least you know that no matter what happens, I'll always come back to you."

I don't know how he did it, but the way that he bared his soul to me, along with the seductive lull of his voice had my knees buckling, effectively making me stumble slightly. He laughed quietly and kissed my neck again.

"Silly girl, my silly girl."

I smiled, sinking into his loving embrace. "Always."

* * *

As the day continued on, Cedric and I spent our time wandering aimlessly, sometimes stopping to talk to people. But as we walked down one of the main corridors, we were stopped by Dumbledore.

"Miss Dawson?" The Headmaster called. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

I turned towards the sound of his voice, seeing said Headmaster at the other end of the corridor, he didn't look angry or anything, which cleared my sudden worry.

"Of course, Professor," I replied, glancing up at Cedric, not sure what to do.

"Mr. Diggory is welcome to join us." He confirmed.

Cedric exhaled in relief, squeezing my hand as we walked forward. Dumbledore waited for us to reach him before we began to wander at a leisurely pace.

"As you know, Amber, the Second Task is only a few short days away."

"Yes," I breathed. "I know."

He nodded in understanding before he continued talking. "Once again I would like you to search the grounds, just to be safe. We don't want any dangerous visitors joining us."

I nodded, remaining silent. I was expecting something along the lines of this.

"Have you seen anything particularly odd lately, Amber?" He asked, looking at me as if I knew something that he didn't.

My thoughts immediately jumped to Harry's strange dreams, the Dark Mark. Wormtail and the mysterious other man talking to a barely living Voldemort in that creaky old house. Did Dumbledore know about that? Was it really my news to tell?

So, I opted for an answer that was nonchalant but still gave the old man enough information. "Nothing particularly threatening right now; although it would do well for us to keep our eyes open. Just in case."

He seemed to understand the hidden meaning behind my words, for he nodded, deep in thought. "Very well, thank you, Miss Dawson. You two enjoy the rest of your day." He turned to leave before remembering something and completing his circle. "Oh, by the way. My belated congratulations to you both." He smiled before turning again and walking off.

I looked up at Cedric, my cheeks burning. He glanced down at me, his own cheeks tinted with pink.

Distantly, Dumbledore laughed.

* * *

As promised, later that night, after the school had fallen into slumber; I moved to my beloved windowsill, watching the school from Bella's point of view as she swooped through the trees, circling the large castle.

I normally waited until after the others were asleep, it was easier for me to concentrate on the harder tasks. There was also no risk of being interrupted by a friend. The quiet breathing of my friends was simply a lulling noise in the back of my mind as the wind whistled past my ears as Bella dipped surprisingly fast to get a good look at a certain part of the school.

As Bella began another loop, I could hear something approaching me. But it wasn't through Bella's ears. It seemed to be a slow building thing, floating as silently as a whisper on the wind. When it swirled around inside my head, I heard it with perfect clarity, and I could distantly feel Harry's confusion behind the strange noise… What did he want me to know? Whatever it was, the sudden noise was strong enough to push Bella's sight from my eyes, a bright golden glow replacing it. I distantly recognised it as Harry's egg. The slight gurgling gave off the sense of dunking your head under the water. A sudden, angel-like voice made my thoughts stop abruptly.

"_Come seek us where our voices sound_

_We cannot sing above the ground._

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_To recover what we took."_

As quickly as it had come, the sight, and the singing disappeared. Bella's sight overtaking me once again. She was circling a tree, her panic evident. She was worried. She seemed to sense when I was back in her mind, and after making another lazy loop, she made her way back to the open window on the other side of the room. There was nothing dangerous out tonight.

When my own sight returned, I was immediately thinking.

The egg was open in what I saw; the bubbles that were normally whooshing around inside it were floating slowly, as if they were comfortable in the water. It was really quite pretty. It was the song that had me confused.

Was that the clue for the next task?

If so, what the heck did it mean?

* * *

The following morning, Harry had caught Hermione, Ron and I in the Common Room. He told us about what he'd seen, and so, we were now in the library. Where we had been… all day.

I'd hardly seen Cedric; he had come in from time to time to see how we were doing. He sat with us for a while, simply holding me, pressing his lips to my forehead or my hair as we brainstormed. But as the day drew on, he had to go. He left after giving me a kiss that left me dazed and I managed to avoid Hermione's amused eyes for a few moments before she jumped back into her questioning.

We'd come to the conclusion that the Second Task was at the Black Lake, and that it had something to do with being underwater for an hour. Mer-people fit into the equation somehow, but I was far too tired to remember what their part was in this.

I wasn't sure how late it was right now, but I knew that it was late enough… Enough for me to know that I should be sleeping right now. The task was tomorrow, and I had to be as alert as I could for I had a lot to keep track of. I was sitting on a chair next to Harry, my head leaning against the bookshelf behind me, my hand resting on the young boys shoulder as he stared blankly at a page in one of the many books that Hermione had gotten us to flick through. Eventually, she gave up and just got Harry and me to recite the riddle.

"Harry," She demanded, more awake than any of us right now. "Tell me again."

Harry sighed and bumped his chin against the book as he spoke, keeping a rhythm. "Come seek us where our voices sound." He began.

Ron snored quietly in the background as Hermione answered the first part of the riddle. "The Black Lake, that's obvious." She paused for a moment to shake Ron's arm, effectively waking him. She handed him Harry's egg and waited for him to continue.

"An hour long you'll have to look." Harry muttered, his voice weary.

Hermione came to a stop next to us, leaning against the table. "Again, obvious. Though admittedly, potentially problematic."

Harry's eyes widened before he turned to Hermione with a bewildered expression. "Potentially problematic?" He repeated, his voice disbelieving. "When was the last time you held your breath under water for an hour, Hermione?" He demanded.

"Look," She began, sitting down next to him, the worry in her voice becoming more apparent. "Harry… we… we _can _do this." Ron got up and stood next to Hermione, watching on tiredly. "The four of us can figure it out."

When a new voice joined us, my head snapped up as my eyes focused on Moody. "Hate to break up the Skull session." He began, staring at us oddly. "Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office." When Harry began to stand, he spoke again. "Not you, Potter; just Weasley, Dawson and Granger."

"What?" I mumbled, running a hand through my hair.

"But, sir." Hermione began. "The Second Task is only hours away, and -"

"Exactly," Moody interrupted. "Presumably, Potter is well prepared by now and could do with a good nights sleep. Go." He demanded, raising his voice when none of us moved. "Now!"

Ron and Hermione shot out of their seats and began to walk away, I glanced at Moody again before turning to Harry; I kissed the top of his head before I spoke. "You'll be fine." I whispered before jogging after the others.

* * *

"What do you think McGonagall wants with us?" Ron asked as we made our way down the corridor towards her office.

"I don't know," I replied. "But it will have something to do with the Second Task, that much I'm certain of."

"Do you think Harry will be okay?" Hermione asked, looking over her shoulder as we reached the door to McGonagall's office.

"He'll be fine." I replied, knocking twice on the large wooden door.

"Come in," McGonagall's voice answered, and after taking a quiet breath, I pushed the door open.

To be honest, I wasn't surprised to see both McGonagall and Dumbledore standing at the end of the room. They both had controlled expressions, but it was easy to tell that they were eager to give us information of some sort.

"Stand up here, if you will." McGonagall instructed.

We all shared a glance before walking to stand a few metres away from them, my bright green eyes swimming with curiosity.

"I suppose you're all wondering why we called you here," Dumbledore began. "As you all know, tomorrow is the day of the Second Task. And as I've been informed, you're all trying to help young Harry figure out his clue, correct?"

"That's right." Hermione answered, her tone calm.

Dumbledore nodded before he continued on, "The task involves something being taken from each of our Champions, which they will have to search for in the Black Lake. They'll have an hour to find their object before their time is up."

"Not to sound rude, Professor." I interrupted, "But what does the task have to do with us?"

To my surprise, he smiled. "A good question, Miss Dawson. The task involves the three of you in quite an important way. You see, the item that is being taken from the Champions is something very close to their heart." His eyes flicked over the three of us. "Whether a friend," Ron, "An interest." Hermione, "Or a lover." Me. "So, this is where the three of you come in."

"Sir?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking.

"Mr. Weasley, you are to be Harry's treasure; Miss Granger, you are to be Mr. Krum's treasure, and Amber, you will be Mr. Diggory's treasure." The two adults walked towards us as Dumbledore gave the last of his speech. "If your Champion fails to find you, do not be alarmed, for we will bring you back to the surface. Now, I ask for the three of you to close your eyes and relax; and we'll see you tomorrow."

I let my eyes slide closed as Professor McGonagall came to stand in front of me. As her wand tapped my forehead, my body froze.

The last thought that went through my head before I fell into unconsciousness was the fact that I was Cedric's treasure.

I knew he would find me.

* * *

**Emmett: Whoa.  
BWA: Cool, huh?  
Harry: Can I be nervous now?  
BWA: .... Sure, why not?  
Harry: -Whines-  
BWA: Well, since Amber is out of it for the moment, do you know what that means?  
Emmett: -Gasp- Really?  
BWA: Yes! Next chapter has CPOV in it!  
Cedric: Oh boy..  
Emmett: Performance anxiety? Again?  
Cedric: Leave me alone... I want Amber..  
BWA: Sorry buddy-boy, she's frozen.  
Cedric: Crud.  
BWA: Yeah, we won't be seeing Amber until she's all thawed out and fished out from the bottom of the Lake.  
Cedric: Oh sure, no pressure.  
BWA: Nope, none at all.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: You know the drill - click on the button down there and leave us a review, kay? I love hearing from you! Also, some of you have put this story on alert but you haven't left a review.  
Emmett: Don't be scared, we don't bite!  
BWA: Yeah, It'd be great to hear your thoughts on this. So, if you're reading and haven't left a review, why not drop us one?  
Emmett: Pwease? -Puppy dog eyes-  
BWA: Aww! -Cuddles-**

* * *


	11. Treasure Hunt

**_

* * *

_**

BWA: Hey! Welcome back - are you all ready for the Second Task?  
Harry: ..I guess.  
BWA: Why do you always get so nervous?  
Harry: Oh, maybe because I'm the youngest contestant and I didn't put my name in and -  
BWA: Okay.. okay. -Whispers behind hand- Do we have any counsellors in here? Anyway! Today is the day of the Second Task, and Amber, Hermione and Ron are still frozen at the bottom of the Black Lake.  
Emmett: If they're frozen... Do you think they're cold?  
BWA: -Giggles- Possibly. Now, most of this chapter is CPOV, but, once he finds his treasure and breaks the surface, we'll be back to Amber, kay?  
Cedric: Good.  
BWA: But, we can't go back to Amber until you find her.. so... make sure you do that.  
Cedric: I can only do that if you write it.  
BWA: Well, I did.. so we're all good.  
Emmett: Is anyone else getting confused by this?  
Harry: -Raises hand-  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: Alright, alright. Enough rambling. If you could all make your way to the Great Hall for breakfast and then continue on to the boats waiting at Black Lake, that would be great. We'll see you there!

_

* * *

_

_Chapter eleven  
Treasure Hunt_

**CPOV:**

Nightmares were things that usually consisted of monsters and scary things from horror movies. Mine was something that most people would just pass off as a random dream; this particular dream had me thrashing in my sleep.

My green eyed angel smiled at me from where she sat on the edge of a rock, looking out over the water. She waved a delicate hand towards me, beckoning me to her. My feet began to move, but I wasn't getting any closer; her angelic features twisted into a mask of concern. Her rosy lips parted as if she were about to ask a question, but then she froze, her skin turning a disturbing shade of white, as if she had just seen something that scared the life out of her.

Suddenly, I lurched forward, closing the distance between us. My arms reached for her but to my shock, they passed through her body as if she were made of air. Her emerald eyes gazed into my own for a few moments before they slid closed, her body becoming as still as a marble sculpture. I watched helplessly as water engulfed her, dragging her away.

"_I know you'll find me."_

I whirled around, searching for my angel as her voice rang loud and clear in my ears, almost as if she were whispering them in my ear. My heart ached when I saw nothing but water around me, as if I was stuck inside a bubble.

In a flash of movement, the angel was beside me, stretched up on her toes so that her lips could brush against the edge of my jaw, next to my ear.

"_I'll be waiting."_

* * *

I shot up in my bed, my breath coming in heaving pants as beads of sweat rolled down my cheeks. A violent tremble rolled down my spine as I tried to rid myself of the strange images.

A quick glance out the window told me that it was early morning, almost time to get up anyway. The next task was in an hour or two. I swung my legs over the side of the mattress and sat up, running a hand through my dishevelled hair.

Amber's words had been so clear, and the way she said them simply told me, "Don't be scared, I'm okay." Nothing was making sense right now, I was too tired to try and figure it out.

After taking a deep breath, I walked to the window and pushed it open, letting the crisp morning breeze clear my senses. I'm sure I'd see her in the Great Hall, I had to stop worrying.

Down in the Great Hall later that morning, a lot of people came up to me and wished me luck in the next task. I acknowledged them kindly, my eyes searching for a face that would calm my nerves. But I never saw her, and so my anxiety grew.

Where was she?

* * *

My name was being chanted by Huffelpuff students as my eyes scanned across the Black Lake. I waited, bouncing slightly on the wooden platform that I and the others stood on. Harry came alone as well; Ron, Hermione and Amber were all out of sight for the time being. No one seemed to know where they were.

I couldn't shake the feeling that my dream meant something, that I was overlooking some very obvious detail that would tell me what exactly it was that I had to do here. I remained silent as Dumbledore's voice boomed around us.

"_Welcome to the Second Task!" _He began. _"Last night, something was stolen from each of our Champions; a treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each Champion, now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. To win, each Champion need only find their treasure, and return to the surface. Simple enough, except for this, they will have only one hour to do so. And one hour only."_

I walked to the edge of the platform with the others, shrugging my jacket off and facing the cool breeze as I prepared to dive straight into the dark water.

"_After that, they'll be on their own." _The Headmaster continued, coming to the end of his speech. _"No magic will save them." _It was then that I noticed Harry lurching awkwardly next to me, his breathing harsh as if he was swallowing something that tasted absolutely vile. _"You may begin at the sound of the cannon."_

As soon as the loud bang went off above our heads, I pushed off from the platform, my body becoming engulfed in the cool water. I shivered once before pulling my wand out of my pocket; after a small tap to the corner of my jaw a large bubble engulfed my mouth and my nose, allowing me to breathe easily. I twisted my body around and kicked my legs, swimming down into the reeds and coral.

As I swam, the wheels inside my head were spinning madly. The information that Dumbledore had given us had simply added to my light confusion; I couldn't figure out what that missing detail was. He mentioned that something had been taken from us last night; but what could they possibly steal that I would be so desperate to get back? What could be considered a treasure?

I thought back to the previous night, nothing had really happened except for seeing Amber in the library, and then the strange dream and –

My thoughts stopped short and I halted my movements as my eyes widened, a loud gasp expanding the bubble for a few moments.

"_I know you'll find me."_

The angel's voice rang in my ears as everything clicked. Her lack of appearance at breakfast, the dream.

Amber was my treasure.

I couldn't believe how oblivious I'd been; now desperate to find her, my feet kicked against the water, propelling me forward, further into the murky water.

* * *

Now that I knew what I was searching for, the object of my desire was now all that I could think about. As I swam, my thoughts wandered.

I remembered the first time I saw her; it was early morning, and we were headed to the Quidditch World Cup. The Weasley's were joining us, I liked the Weasley's, their twin boys were genuine, and it was easy to get along with them.

_I'd climbed a tree as we waited, letting my father know when they came into view. But when I did see them, I was surprised to find that there were more children with them, ones that didn't have the expected red hair. The three children with darker hair stood out in contrast with the fiery orange._

_As they grew closer, a dull tugging began in my chest, almost pulling me out of the tree; curious as to find out what it meant, I dropped off the branch and landed on the balls of my feet. Shaking hands with Mr. Weasley before letting my eyes wander._

_My breath caught in my throat when my eyes met a pair of stunning emerald orbs. I stared back for a few short moments, the eyes seemed so familiar, but I knew that I'd never met the owner of them before. Eager to see the rest of this strangers' features, I broke the connection and studied the new face._

_Dark brown hair framed a delicate face, tumbling over the shoulders in graceful ringlets. The girls' skin was an appealing olive tone, her full, rosy lips parted slightly. Her jaw was soft but still defined in a way that made me want to trace my fingers across it. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, as if she were nervous, the eyes that I had been staring into just moments earlier were framed with long, dark eyelashes. She was fairly tall, but also soft, curvy and feminine._

_She was beautiful._

I smiled as I eased my way through two large rocks, meeting more open water. I'd seen the gorgeous stranger's face in my dreams. I thought that it was just a face that my subconscious had dreamed up. But as I watched her that night, I became eager to learn more about her; the first time our skin touched, an electric current pulsed up my arm, making my heart stutter unevenly. The girl was only in her fourth year, while I was in my sixth, but never before had someone had such an immediate effect on me.

The weeks after consisted of me thinking about the strange girl, her name was Amber. That was all I knew.

As soon as we started back at school, I was able to catch a glimpse of her almost every day. She had a dazzling smile and was very protective of her friends, her laugh sounded like bells ringing in a distant wind; she was also a loving, loyal, humorous friend.

We had shared many secret glances in the days that followed; she dazzled me into silence on several occasions.

I remembered the first night I'd actually spent time alone with her, she had to search the grounds to make sure that nothing was going on as Harry's name had emerged from the Goblet of Fire only hours earlier.

_I watched with curious eyes as she wandered to the open windows, leaning out into the cool breeze, her curls fluttering in the gentle wind. She whistled a long, single note before a white owl swooped into view and landed on her outstretched arm for a few seconds before launching itself into the night. _

_Amber's head turned infinitesimally but in that motion I managed to take in the sudden baby blue of her eyes. Although it was a gentle colour, it held an edge of menace, meaning that although she looked friendly, she was dangerous. _

_As if she didn't realize it, she leaned forward more, almost hoisting herself up and out of the window. I breathed her name before I lurched forward, winding my arms around her waist to steady her. What I wasn't prepared for was that familiar electric current that surged through my body wherever my skin touched hers._

_She made a small noise before she leaned her weight against me, her head tilting back to rest in the crook of my neck, her eyes rolled back to meet mine, although I was positive that she couldn't see my face. The blank expression on her face amused me, although I had a feeling that she was concentrating very hard on her owl's movements, for every now and again, she would lean to the left and then the right as her owl looped the school._

_After a few moments, her eyes melted back into their original green, and her face became full of life again. Her cheeks flooded with red before her lips parted slightly; unable to help myself, I leaned closer, aching to press my lips to hers, although I'd only known her properly for about a week. She watched with heavy lidded eyes as our lips stayed only millimetres apart. Suddenly, and without warning, her eyes shot to their brilliant blue and a quiet gasp pulled past her lips._

_Her sudden gasp triggered my own which seemed to break her concentration, her eyes returning to the stunning emerald once again._

"_What was that?" I asked, completely dazed._

_She blinked, staring blankly for half a second before she answered. "That was me looking through your eyes." She breathed, staring at me in disbelief. "You really see me like that? After only a week or so?"_

_I couldn't help but smile; she must have seen how beautiful she looked to me. I had trouble believing the sudden attraction myself. "Strange, isn't it?" I questioned, knowing she understood me entirely. "Stronger than it should be, but yes, I really do see you like that."_

And that was how it started; we came to the conclusion that affection for Amber was ten times stronger than the normal kind, and it only happened when she met her soul mate. Something to do with the Phoenix that chose her as the one to acquire its powers.

A few weeks after, we were inseparable and I loved her with all my heart.

The lulling, familiar voice of a mermaid broke me from my thoughts, dragging me back into reality and reminding me of what I had to do.

I followed the high, singing voice through a seemingly endless expanse of reeds, but eventually, it led to a large open area. It was then that I noticed a large stone arch, one that had four dark silhouettes under it. Feeling the tugging sensation once again, I swam towards them, watching as a boy in a red outfit swam into view.

It was Harry.

He noticed when I joined him, for he turned away from the rope that he was untangling from Ron's leg. My eye's shot to Amber, who looked just like she did in my dream, except her hair was waving in all directions, disturbed by the water. Small bubbles emerged from her parted lips, and even though she was frozen in place, she still looked gorgeous.

Knowing that I only had a short period of time left, I pulled my wand out of my pocket and aimed it at the rope that tethered Amber to the rocky bottom. As soon as the red spark collided with the rope, it snapped and Amber began to float upwards. I caught her arm and revelled in the spark that shot across my skin, before I looked at Harry. I tapped the watch on my arm with my wand, silently reminding him that he had to hurry. He nodded as I began to turn, pulling Amber gently alongside me.

As I kicked upwards, I paused for half a second, placing my hands on her chilled cheeks and letting my thumb run across her lips. I was eager to see her face full of life again, so, with complete and utter determination; I kicked upwards; heading for the surface.

* * *

**APOV:**

I wasn't sure how long I'd been frozen for, my muscles locked in place. Even though I wasn't able to move or talk, I could still think and feel.

My thoughts swirled lazily inside my head, I felt dreadfully powerless, unable to see my surroundings. I endlessly worried for Cedric, hoping that he knew where to find me.

As if I were able to tell that he was near, a low, familiar tugging began in my chest, and my heart immediately ached for my other half. When I felt the weight that had been holding me down suddenly give, my body lightened, and I distantly registered the fact that I was moving upwards.

I wished that I were able to find the right words to express my joy when I felt heat on my arm, a greatly anticipated spark warming my body.

He found me.

The heat stayed there on my arm, it was all I could focus on. The fact that I was moving didn't hold much importance to me. I didn't like the darkness though; I wanted to see his face.

When we suddenly stopped moving, my weary thoughts became confused. Why weren't we moving? I could still feel the water swirling around me, the gentle tugging of my hair as it got caught in a current. I wanted more than anything to relax into the warm hands that were suddenly resting against my cheeks, the slightest pressure was applied to my lips, and I could distantly imagine him running his thumb across my lips, his face perfectly relaxed as he smiled at me. My heart ached again.

Then, before I could register it, we were moving again. Time didn't make itself known for a few good minutes.

Suddenly, without warning - we broke through the surface.

Heat jumped from my head to my toes, my fingers twitched as my head tipped back, my lungs pulling in large gulps of air. I brushed my wet hair away from my face and relaxed into the water; my body was tired from being still for so long.

I heard Cedric's heavy breathing next to me, he must be exhausted. I turned my head to watch him as we swam towards the platform that held a large number of people. Cedric's jaw was clenched tight but he had a small smile on his face. His hand slid down my arm to grasp my own as we glided through the water.

Several hands reached out to pull me out of the cold water, as soon as my body was exposed to the chill air, trembles rolled down my spine, goose bumps breaking out across my skin as my teeth began to chatter. I was handed a few towels which were wrapped around me as I sat on the floor, still shivering.

I relaxed when a pair of familiar hands grasped my torso and pulled me up, off the ground. Cedric's arms wound tight around my stomach as I slumped against him; his lips pressed to the skin of my neck, it almost sounded like he was sobbing against my skin, but in reality, he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked, turning my head to smile at him.

He smiled back at me, causing my heart to stutter unevenly, before he dropped a kiss to my forehead. "I'm just happy I found you." He breathed. There weren't enough words to express how happy I was to hear his voice again.

"I knew you would," I replied, nuzzling into the crook of his neck as we swayed gently, almost lulling me into unconsciousness as we stood there.

Dumbledore came up to us after a while, placing his hand on my shoulder as he looked us over, searching for any cuts or other injuries. "Are you both okay?" He asked.

I felt Cedric nod which made my head bob, since it was still resting in the dip between his shoulder and neck. "We're fine; Amber's just a little tired." He replied, his thumbs drawing lazy circles on my stomach.

Dumbledore smiled a little before he clapped Cedric's shoulder, "Well done, Mr. Diggory."

It was then that loud cheers disrupted the almost peaceful silence. I heard the Durmstrang boys cheering for their Champion, so I knew that Hermione was above the surface. Cedric and I watched as the same people helped my friend out of the water, wrapping a towel around her. I shivered a little and Cedric pulled me closer.

Hermione made her way over to me once she had overcome the chills of being exposed to the cold air; she managed to hug me, even though Cedric had me pressed against his stomach to keep me warm.

"Amber, I'm so glad you're okay!" She trilled in a relieved tone. "That was very strange, being underwater like that, wasn't it?"

I nodded, my head no longer resting against Cedric's chest. "Very, it was weird being deprived of half your senses."

She trembled as she remembered what it was like to be immobile. "That's something I don't want to experience again."

I smiled a tiny bit before my eyes flicked to the still water. Where were Ron and Harry? Shouldn't they be up by now?

Hermione seemed to notice my sudden distress because her eyes followed my line of sight before she turned back to me. "Can you see where he is, Amber?" She asked.

I let my eyes slide closed, I could feel his sight, he wasn't far from the surface, but something was holding him down. I didn't have the energy to hold his sight, though. I was still exhausted from staying dormant for so long. I looked up at Hermione and shook my head as the clock chimed not too far away.

Another loud cheer sounded and my eyes flicked to the water once again, Ron and a little blonde girl had just emerged from the cold water. Hermione rushed over to them while I stayed where I was. She was still full of energy, but I was extremely tired. I guess, because she was so used to sitting still where as I was constantly moving, it was a change to not move at all for goodness knows how long. Either that or I just spent all my energy worrying about Cedric.

I'd go with the latter.

When a loud thump shook the platform, my eyes, which had pretty much slid closed, snapped open to see a saturated Harry shivering on the wood. His skin was covered in angry red marks; I wonder how he got them.

Dumbledore called all the teachers in for a sudden meeting, I couldn't be bothered listening in. It went on for a while, and as they spoke, the breeze began to dry my hair. Cedric whispered sweet little nothings into my ear every now and again, pressing his lips to the skin of my neck. By the time that Dumbledore spoke, I felt normal, my exhaustion quickly melting away as my stored energy ran through my veins. I rested my hands on Cedric's, which were still resting on my stomach. His arms still wrapped around me. I don't think either of us was planning on parting any time soon.

"ATTENTION!" Dumbledore boomed, his wand pressed to his neck for half a second. I flinched at the incredible velocity. "The winner is… Mr. Diggory!"

Cedric removed one of his arms so that he could thrust his fist into the air; his joyful laughter rang in my ears as I watched him, a large grin on my lips. He bent down and pressed a kiss to my lips just as a camera went off behind us. I giggled against his lips and he smiled, pulling back to grin at me.

I forced myself to pay attention as the Headmaster continued on, "However, seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to save not only Mr. Weasley, but the others as well; we have agreed to award him… Second Place! For outstanding Moral Fibre."

I cheered along with the rest of the Hogwarts students before Cedric and I were pulled away for an interview with Rita Skeeter. Ugh, thank goodness it didn't last long.

As soon as he interview was over, I wandered through the throng of bodies, Cedric stayed behind to talk to his friends. Ron and Hermione smiled at me when I reached them. Harry had his back to me, so, seeing an opportunity, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his torso and hugging him with all my might.

"Hello, Amber." He laughed, turning around.

I ruffled his hair with a smile, minutely examining one of the red marks on the side of his neck. "Harry, I'm so proud of you. You did so well!"

He shrugged, "I'm happy that you're okay." He stated.

Fred and George, along with Cedric, joined us after a while. I relaxed into my other half when he found me, my heart fluttered as I watched my friends talk animatedly. I couldn't express how relieved I was to see all of them happy and safe.

* * *

**BWA: Woo! You did it, boys!  
Harry: ...I never want to go in there again.  
BWA: Fine with me.  
Amber: -Shivers-  
BWA: Can someone get her another towel?  
Harry: Where's Ron and Hermione?  
BWA: In the kitchen drinking hot chocolate.  
Amber: Well, that was certainly an interesting experience.  
BWA: -Giggles- I can tell you, Amber. Cedric missed having you around.  
Amber: Aww.  
Cedric: -Blushes-  
BWA: Now, the next chapter gets a little dark and mysterious. Also, Amber finds out about an obsticle that her powers present her with.  
Amber: Oh, great...  
BWA: You won't like me for it, I can tell you that now. Think back to the Quidditch World Cup, when Amber tried to look through the unknown mans eyes, and she screamed because it hurt.. It's gonna be a bit like that.  
Amber: -Whines- A bit?  
BWA: Okay.. worse.  
Amber: -Whines even more-  
Emmett: Unlucky..  
BWA: Where do you keep disappearing to?  
Emmett: I was in the kitchen.... they had marshmallows in the hot chocolate..  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Okay, well - I think it's about time we went to warm up with a nice hot drink. Anyone else want one?  
Everyone: -Raises hands-  
BWA: Okay, well.. you're gonna have to tell me how many marshmallows you want - and no, Emmett. We can't empty the whole bag into your mug.  
Emmett: Dang it.  
BWA: Before we go, thanks to everyone who left a review on the last chapter! And welcome to all those who reviewed for the first time! It was fabulous to hear from you and I'm glad you like the story so far!  
Emmett: Leave us another review before you go, kay?  
BWA: With every review, I'll put another marshmallow into Emmett's hot chocolate.  
Emmett: Woo!**

* * *


	12. These Walls

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Emmett: So many marshmallows..  
BWA: -Giggles- Oh! Hey there - Emmett is still recovering from his hot chocolate. Because we got lots of reviews, Emmett had more marshmallows that hot chocolate in his mug.  
Amber: At least he'll know not to do that again.  
Emmett: Are you kidding? It was awesome!  
Hermione: We ran out of marshmallows. -Glares at Emmett-  
Emmett: What?  
Amber: -Laughs-  
BWA: Okay, okay - thank you to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! I was really nervous because it was my first time doing CPOV, but apparently it worked out well.  
Cedric: Woo!  
Ron: Amber goes a little freaky in this chapter.  
Harry: It was spooky.  
BWA: That's right. Amber has to overcome another... painful obstacle in this chapter.  
Amber: -Whines-  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- You'll be fine. Anyway, we won't keep you any longer. Go on, lovelies!  
Emmett: Onward!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. Amber and any characters you don't recognise belong to me.

_

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_Chapter twelve  
These Walls_

"All that Moral Fibre, ey?" Fred teased as we got off the boat that took us back to solid ground.

"Can't beat that Moral Fibre." I replied with a grin, my hand in Cedric's as we stepped onto the leafy ground.

"It's great," George laughed.

"Moral Fibre?" Ron asked, "Blimey, Harry, any time you do something wrong it turns out right."

"Yeah," Fred began, pushing Harry's head playfully. "Well done, Moral Fibre."

We continued on as Harry stopped to talk to Mr. Crouch. I bit my bottom lip as we walked under the cover of the trees, my hair was totally dry now and my shivers had stopped.

"We'll see you at Hagrid's, Harry!" Ron called as we continued on.

As we passed a certain tree, I noticed a lonely pinecone sitting on the ground. Unable to help myself, I reached down and picked up the small object and launched it at Fred. It hit him in the middle of his back.

"Oh, you are so gonna pay for that, kid." He warned before kicking up some of the fallen leaves.

I squealed as they stuck to my damp clothes, Cedric laughed before we all got started in a full on leaf-kicking fight.

At one point, the leaves were falling so much that it looked like it was raining; before I was able to prepare myself, Cedric picked me up and swung me in a circle, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips before setting me back down on the ground, laughing when I stumbled a little. We turned back to the others just in time to see George drop a whole heap of leaves down the back of Hermione's blouse. She squealed and did a strange little dance to try and rid herself of the leaves. We laughed before another round of our game began.

Once we'd had our fun, we continued on to Hagrid's house; Cedric seemed to notice when I went quiet, my hand gripping his a little tighter than normal.

As we grew closer to the forest that led to Hagrid's, my stomach began to twist uncomfortably, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Once we reached the little cottage that our giant friend resided in, Cedric made me stop while the others went inside.

He studied my worried expression before taking my face in his hands. "Amber, what's wrong?" He asked.

Unable to explain, I merely shrugged, shaking my head. "I don't know… I just… don't have a good feeling about tonight."

Concern flitted across his hardened features; he knew that when I was worried about something, I had a good reason. He trusted me whenever I said that something didn't feel right.

"Just relax; I'm sure everything will be okay." He crooned, brushing his thumb over my lips. "Now, once you're done here I want you to get some rest, okay?"

I nodded slightly, reaching up to thread my fingers through his hair. "I'll see you later." I whispered, my anxiety dulling in Cedric's presence.

He smiled warmly and craned his neck, pressing his lips to my own. They moved together for a few seconds before Hermione called my name. I broke the kiss to breathe before I stepped into Cedric's warm embrace; he ran his fingers through my hair, dropping a kiss to the top of my head before we parted ways, and I joined the others inside.

* * *

"Now I remember, I remember when I first met you all." Hagrid began as we wandered through a nearby forest, helping him with a job. "Biggest bunch of misfits I've ever set eyes on!" He laughed to himself, ruffling my hair with a giant hand. "Suppose you remind me of myself a little. And here we all are; four years later!"

Ron laughed before he spoke, "We're still a bunch of misfits."

I rolled my eyes, gently punching his arm. "Old habits die hard."

"Well, maybe; but we've all got each other." The giant man replied. "And Harry, o'course." I looked up to see Harry wandering several metres ahead of us, "Soon to be, the youngest Triwizard Champion there's ever been!" He boomed, "Hooray!"

I didn't pay attention to what the others continued to say, or sing, in their case; for the uncomfortable twisting of my stomach was now a constant burn through my bones, a dim version of that night at the Quidditch World Cup.

I stopped where I was, dropping into a crouch as a loud snarl ripped up my throat, my eye colour changed in an instant and I was immediately assaulted with memories that weren't my own.

_A tall, cloaked man was backing up against a tree, his hands held out in surrender as he pleaded for his life to be spared. The man was so completely familiar but I couldn't remember his name, I was distracted, and I wasn't sure why._

_The small, beady eyes were full of fear, the shadowy figure that closed in on him enjoyed it; he was almost happy to be able to finally get revenge on the man that ruined his life. He would be the first of many that would fall at his feet._

_Sick of the old man's pleading, he swung his wand once, the killing curse being shouted by an unfamiliar voice. Finally, the sickly green that had been long anticipated hit the man straight in the chest, sending him flying backwards and into the dirt; the life disappearing from his eyes in an instant._

The sight disappeared and it was only when I was brought back to reality that I realized that loud, pained screams were bursting past my lips as my muscles thrashed against the ground. A heated, familiar burn, hotter than the gates of hell spread across my body. It was the same as that night… There was Dark Magic at work, here.

Hermione and Ron ran to my side, their hands pinning me down as I continued to thrash against the ground. The earlier mentioned Dark Magic was still floating around not too far away. I managed to still my aching muscles as Harry's frightened voice pierced the silence that my screaming had made.

"Mr. Crouch?"

I wasn't able to pay attention to what went on after that, Hagrid sent Ron and Hermione back to the school to fetch Dumbledore while Harry came and sat by my side; since the burn had not yet ceased, I was unable to move my muscles. Hermione had quickly filled Hagrid in on what Dark Magic did to me, and so because I was still close to the murdered man, I continued to writhe and ache on the floor.

Lupin was right.

As time went on, I managed to fight against the burn, pushing it away from my body, building defences as I lay there. By the time that Dumbledore and others reached us, I had strengthened my body enough so that I could regain the use of my muscles. A high pitched ringing continued on in my ears.

To my astonishment, through that short period of time, I'd heightened the skill to partially block out the burn of Dark Magic, giving me use of my body as the fire raged on under my skin.

Professor McGonagall joined Harry by my side, she tried to help me up but my muscles were still stiff, so she got Hagrid to pick me up and carry me back to the school. I remained silent as he walked, trying to concentrate on the conversation that we were leaving behind; Crouch had been murdered, and thanks to me, they knew it was someone associated with Voldemort.

I could hear McGonagall filling Dumbledore in on my sudden gain of strength; I wanted to laugh when the Headmaster said that he wasn't surprised. It was merely a matter of time before I was able to construct a shield inside my head. It was a great asset for someone like me to have; although he was surprised that I was able to do it so quickly. As usual, the conclusion they'd come to on my strange powers was way off the mark.

Hagrid, unsure of where to take me once we reached the school, made his way to the Hospital Wing, in hopes that Madame Pomfrey could help with my strange condition.

I heard the gasp of the nurse as Hagrid walked in with me, limp in his arms, my eyes open and searching blindly. For what? I wasn't sure.

"Goodness, what happened to her?" She asked, taking one of my hands as she led Hagrid over to an empty bed.

I felt Hagrid shrug as he set me down, my muscles still twitching every few seconds. I was able to focus on the two shadows as they conversed, the moonlight spilling in through the windows. Casting hauntingly beautiful shadows across the room.

"Had a bit of a run in with Dark Magic, she has." Hagrid explained with the little information that he had. "Has a very low tolerance for it, apparently, what with her powers and all."

Madame Pomfrey flitted to my bedside, taking in my expression. I was uncomfortably numb, and so I wasn't sure what she was seeing on my face. "How do you feel, dear?" She asked.

"Strange," I whispered. "Where's Cedric? I need him…"

She heard the hysteric edge to my voice and knew that keeping Cedric from me was not a good idea. "Hagrid, can you go and fetch Mr. Diggory for me?"

I saw Hagrid nod from the corner of my eye. "Sure, will Amber be alright?" He asked, concern coloring his tone.

Madame Pomfrey squeezed my hand before she wandered to another corner of the room. "She'll be fine, I'm positive."

Hagrid patted my knee with a large hand before his footfalls echoed out of the room as he made his way towards the Huffelpuff common room.

While we waited, I was able to move enough, with the help of Madame Pomfrey, to remove my school cape. I felt heavy with all these layers on. I let my eyes slide closed as the night wore on, exhaustion joining the dull ache in my bones. The nurse made me drink some strange purple liquid; it tasted distantly of grapes, but it cleared my head, which was nice.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when the familiar sound of footsteps reached my ears. One was slow and heavy while the other was rushed and light. My heartbeat picked up when Cedric walked in with Hagrid trailing behind. His eyes widened when he found me, and I forced myself up into a sitting position just as he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to his chest.

"Oh God, Amber… what happened?" He breathed into my shoulder as I clung to him.

"Barty Crouch," I gasped against his neck, "He was killed… I saw it… god… I saw it." After not speaking for a good while, and having my panic bubbling to the surface, my words came out in a frightened rush. "The burn… it hurt so much… I couldn't… it…" I stuttered as I tried to finish my sentence.

"Calm down, shh, shh, I'm here. I won't leave you. I promise." Cedric soothed, crawling onto the bed and pulling me into his lap, rocking me into silence.

He continued to whisper in my ear as we swayed, my head found its place in the crook of his neck. Every single time his skin touched my own it sent a jolt of heat through my body; thawing out my terror-frozen muscles.

Just as I bordered on unconsciousness, the hospital doors opened and Dumbledore walked in. He took in my relaxed form in Cedric's warm arms before he spoke. "Is she asleep?"

Cedric felt my head shake against his skin, and knowing that I'd need a few moments before I was coherent enough to reply, he answered for me. "No, she's awake."

Dumbledore's footsteps drew closer before I felt a gentle hand come to rest on my shoulder. "Amber, are you alright?"

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I saw was Cedric's face, his eyes gazing down at me with love and concern. I smiled weakly before shifting my gaze to Dumbledore, who looked concerned, frustrated, weary and calm all at the same time.

I attempted to answer but my words came out all slurred together, like they had before. So I took a few deep breaths and tried to clear my mind. Madame Pomfrey gave me a little bit more of the purple liquid, and I was able to answer without mistake.

"I've been better." I mumbled, a lone shiver rolling down my spine.

"Hagrid," Dumbledore began, turning his head to the Care of Magical Creatures teacher that stood a few paces away. "Did you see anything in the forest?"

"Well… not really," The large man answered. "I was singin' along with Ron and Hermione, and then I heard screamin' from behind us. I turned and Amber was writhin' on the ground, her eyes were blue and she was tremblin' from head to toe. I'd never seen her in so much pain before. Then Harry mentioned somethin' about Barty."

Dumbledore nodded and turned back to me, intrigued by Hagrid's reply. "What did you see, Amber?"

I turned a little in Cedric's grip, my head perfectly clear. "I saw… Mr. Crouch, he looked… frightened. I wasn't sure whose eyes I was looking through; but they were angry, they wanted revenge. This particular person held a grudge against him. Their thoughts were muddled, but they were thinking about the number of people that would fall in coming times." I trembled violently and Cedric's arms tightened. He knew I had to give Dumbledore all the information I had. "He was happy when Crouch fell to the ground, the light gone from his eyes. Then that's where it ended," I took a deep breath to calm myself.

The Headmaster looked a little disturbed by what I'd seen. "But you don't know who it was?" He asked.

I shook my head, "No, sir. I'm sorry."

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Why are you apologizing? You were just put through a traumatizing experience and you're sorry because you didn't get a name?" He shook his head in disbelief, his tone still calm. "Remus told me about your reaction to Dark Magic," He muttered. "I spoke with him not an hour ago, and even he was astounded by how quickly you were able to defend yourself against the pain." His eyes travelled to the window as he finished his sentence. "It seems there's more to you than we first thought."

"It would seem so," I muttered.

Silence followed for a few moments, I could hear Cedric's sudden labored breathing in my ear. He had no idea of what I'd gone through just hours earlier, and I could tell that it petrified him to know that he had no clue that it had happened.

"Albus?" Madame Pomfrey asked, "May I keep Amber here overnight, just to keep an eye on her?"

I was suddenly terrified at the thought of having Cedric leave after such an ordeal. I grasped one of his hands in my own and curled into him, muttering pleas for him to stay with me.

"That's reasonable; I'd appreciate it if you keep me posted. Mr. Diggory will stay with her to keep her calm. I'm sure they both need their rest after such a long day."

Dumbledore trailed off when he noticed the sudden blue of my eyes; he didn't speak as I watched through the familiarity of Harry's eyes.

_A large circular room, full of documents as well as people buzzed with confrontation and light conversation. A slightly younger looking Dumbledore sat next to where Harry was situated; a more cheerful Moody sat behind him. The late Mr. Crouch sat behind what could only be the Judge's box; he was speaking to a tattered, half-crazed Igor Karkaroff._

"_Silence!" I heard Mr. Crouch cry, his tone frustrated. I couldn't help but wonder about what I'd missed. "Unless the witness possesses any genuine name of consequence, this session is now concluded."_

"_Oh no, no, no." Karkaroff crooned disturbingly. His accent slurred the words together. "I've heard about one more. The name…"_

"_Yes?" Crouch asked, impatient. _

"_I know for a fact that this person took part in a capture, and by means of the Cruciatus Curse; torture of the Auror, Frank Longbottom! And his wife!"_

"_The name!" Crouch shouted. "Give me the retched name!"_

"_BARTY CROUCH!!" Karkaroff shouted, a malicious grin forming on his face when he knew that he'd struck a chord that the judge did not know of. Gasps ripped around the room as the man finished his accusation. "Junior."_

_Harry's gaze flicked to a young man who looked incredibly familiar; he cried out before attempting to flee from the room. But thanks to Moody, a stunning spell stopped him in his tracks and he toppled into the files._

That was the last thing I saw before my own sight returned.

Dumbledore was leaning over me, as well as Cedric. I shifted slightly, rolling my shoulders and relaxing my jaw.

"What is it, Amber?" The Headmaster asked.

Knowing that Harry would have more information than I did, I gave a different answer. "It's Harry; he's watching something in your office, something about Mr. Crouch's son."

Dumbledore nodded before getting up. "Get some rest, Amber. You've had a long day." He mumbled. "Stay with her, Cedric - keep her calm."

"I will, sir." He answered as the man turned and basically fled from the room.

Silence followed as I tried to wrap my head around what I'd just seen. It was then that something clicked.

Barty Crouch, Junior was the same man from Harry's dreams.

* * *

**Amber: ... That hurt.  
BWA: You got a cuddle out of it.  
Amber: ... Yeah, that was pretty good.  
Ron: What do you think that purple stuff was?  
BWA: -Shrugs- Who knows?  
Emmett: I'd say you do... but eh.  
Cedric: So.. what happens now?  
BWA: You'll see.  
Cedric: -Whines- Come on.. don't do the whole "You'll see" thing. It's annoying.  
BWA: No.. you're just impatient.  
Cedric: Yeah.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: So, yes - Amber has a low tolerance for Dark Magic, something that she'll have to work on when you think about what's coming.  
Amber: What's coming?  
BWA: You'll see.  
Cedric: -Slaps forehead-  
BWA: -Giggles- I wasn't sure how to bring that fact into the story, but I thought - hey, they're going to come across a dead guy, why can't Amber stumble across a memory? One induced by Dark Magic.  
Emmett: Oooooooh.  
Harry: -Makes ghost noises-  
BWA: -Rolls eyes-  
Hermione: Will she be okay?  
BWA: Yeah, she'll be fine.  
Amber: Phew.  
Emmett: Okay, you fabulous readers! You know the drill!  
BWA: And so do we! Leave us a review and I'll do my best to update within the next few days.  
Emmett: Until then!  
BWA: -Waves-  
Harry: -Makes more ghost noises-**

* * *


	13. When It Rains

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BWA: -Waves- Welcome back! It's good to see you.  
Emmett: -Burps-  
BWA: Oh, charming.  
Emmett: You loved it.  
Amber: -Rolls eyes-  
BWA: Oh! Don't worry, everyone! Amber's okay!  
Amber: Yeah, I'm fine!  
BWA: All she needed was a good nights sleep.  
Emmett: I'm sure Cedric helped with that.  
Amber: -Blushes-  
Cedric: -Grins-  
BWA: By the way, thanks for all the fabulous reviews! I seriously love hearing from you all! I end up walking around with a ridiculously gigantic grin on my face.  
Emmett: It's true! It looks like this.. -Tugs on BWA's cheeks-  
BWA: Emmett... that kinda hurts.  
Emmett: Oops. -Lets go-  
BWA: -Giggles- Well.. This chapter is kinda short, it's really just to tie up some loose ends before the Third Task. But, there's some sweet moments between Amber and Cedric to make up for it!  
Amber: Yay!  
Cedric: -Smiles-  
BWA: Well.. I don't have anything else to say.. -Blushes-  
Emmett: -Laughs-

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_Chapter thirteen  
When It Rains_

I woke the following morning in Cedric's arms; we were both lying down on the hospital bed, his arm was draped over my waist and my back was pressed firmly against his chest. I was quite warm, too.

I felt Cedric stir behind me, his breath fanning over my neck, sending a small shiver down my spine. The arm over my waist pulled me closer as he placed a gentle kiss to my shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

I thought over my answer for a few moments, "Rested."

I'd fallen asleep sometime during the continuous rocking of Cedric's arms; he kept the nightmares of my earlier horror at bay, so I slept surprisingly well in the warm circle of his arms.

We both sat up and stretched our muscles; Cedric looked as though he was miles away when we lapsed into silence. I reached up and trailed my fingers down his cheek, recapturing his attention. He caught my hand before it could drop and held it to his skin.

"You know…" He began in a quiet voice. "When Hagrid came to get me… the look on his face made me think that I'd lost you. I'd never been more scared in my life."

The amount of guilt that washed over me was indescribable; I gasped sharply before crawling into his lap, my right hand coming to rest over his heart, while the other grasped the hand that rested on my waist.

I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his, brushing my lips against his own as I spoke.

"I'm sorry," I breathed. "I didn't mean to put you through that; it was the last thing I wanted. But… I needed you."

His breathing hitched and he pulled me impossibly closer, crashing our lips together. We answered each others unspoken questions as our lips moved over one another's. Hands grasped blindly, searching for some way to keep ourselves as close as possible. My fingers tangled through his hair as his arms encircled my waist; we couldn't be without each other; for the world would surely crumble around us if there was a time that we were forced away.

"I'll never leave you," I whispered when we parted for air. "I love you."

"I know," He gasped against my neck. "I love you, too."

We stayed there for an immeasurable amount of time, just holding each other. We left the hospital wing when it was time for breakfast; but thankfully Cedric let me run off to go and get cleaned up before I joined him.

Once I was washed, clothed and presentable, I made my way to the Great Hall; getting swamped by my friends as soon as I came into view. I'd never seen them so relieved before. They asked how I was feeling and if I knew anything more on the situation; Harry and I shared a few glances, he knew that I was on the same page as him now.

Cedric came and sat with us once we'd eaten. Fred and George didn't crack many jokes; they just glanced at me with concern in their eyes. I knew that they loved me like a sister, and I felt their worry, I reached out to take their hands every now and again.

* * *

The months passed in somewhat of a blur after that; news about Mr. Crouch's death spread like wildfire, but I tried my best to ignore it. Rita Skeeter practically pleaded with Dumbledore to get an interview with Harry and I, but thankfully, Dumbledore politely declined her request; saying that Harry and I needed our privacy and some time to clear our heads.

No matter what happened, I still had to stick to my jobs; although classes were short and straight to the point, I still scanned the school whenever I had a free moment. Harry was with me most of the time, so I didn't have to worry about keeping an eye on him, because he was in my eyesight anyway.

Hermione busied herself with schoolwork, although there was hardly anything to be done. She just didn't want to think about the upcoming task, and now that it was mentioned and looming… neither did I.

Ron, as well as Hermione, faithful as ever, stuck by our sides as we tried to deal with what was going on. Although I wasn't a Triwizard Champion, I shared the strain that they went through; I was just as much a part of this mess as them.

Cedric hardly ever left my side; mainly by Dumbledore's request. The Headmaster knew the stress that I was under, with worrying about the task, as well as keeping an eye on Harry and Cedric, and on top of that, constantly checking the grounds for threats. I had a sinking feeling that there was someone around us that couldn't be trusted… someone was going to turn on us, and soon.

I knew that there was a threat away from the grounds, far away, but there wasn't really much I could do about it.

I tried to work out the new skill that I had, Moody helped me every now and again. He was the best option for this kind of training, because he knew the types of spells that would get thrown at someone as dangerous as me, so I had to work on shields and barricades to keep out the spells that penetrated the mind.

At one point, I managed to deflect a spell with my bare hands. A skill that Lupin said wouldn't be reachable for quite some time; Moody was ecstatic when it happened, but I had trouble when it came to doing it again. The Professor suggested that it might work better if I had something or someone to protect. But after a menacing snarl from me, he quickly backtracked.

It seemed that with the sudden onslaught of terror and fright, I was unconsciously preparing myself for any surprise attacks, just in case. Most people found it fascinating.

I felt a bit like one of Snape's potion experiments.

Ugh.

* * *

A few days before the Third Task; Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were all sitting in front of the fire place in the Gryffindor Common Room. Some of the other students were there, but they paid us no mind. Fred and George were fiddling with something or other; all I knew is that it looked gross.

We were particularly lazy that day, Hermione had her head resting on my shoulder while Harry's head was in my lap, his feet were up on Ron's knees while Hermione and I curled up on the rest of the free space.

"Nervous, Harry?" Ron asked, we didn't really talk about the Tournament when we didn't have to… but I guess it was time that we got it out of the way.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Harry replied, chuckling darkly. "But yeah, I am."

"He has good reason to be," Hermione added. "We don't know what's going to happen, and after what's been going on the last few weeks, we don't know what to expect."

"Yeah," Ron muttered. "Do you think that things will calm down once the Tournament is over?"

I shrugged, making Hermione's head bounce slightly. "It's hard to tell… I think that what's starting out there has nothing to do with a school competition. This is big."

Harry shivered, sending disturbing tingles through my body. "Harry, are you alright?" I asked.

He glanced up at me with a weary expression. "Just thinking about that night we found Crouch. I don't think I've ever heard you in so much agony."

I rolled my eyes and poked his shoulder, "Stop worrying about me. I should be the furthest thing from your mind right now." I sighed a little before I spoke. "I'll watch out for you, each and every one of you. You'll be safe, I promise."

They all smiled slightly, relieved by the fact that at least one of us wasn't turning into a nervous wreck.

I had my ways; I just didn't think about it.

* * *

The day before the Third Task, Cedric and I were walking through the empty corridors. It was raining today. It was almost as if the weather knew that something was wrong, as if it could feel my concern.

Strange.

Not many words passed between us as we wandered. We simply enjoyed each others' company, using that to distract us from what was coming.

"Mr. Diggory?" A voice called.

The two of us turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing not too far away, his hands were in the pockets of his robe as he watched us with serious eyes. "May I speak with you for a moment, alone?"

His odd request left me confused; I was panicking slightly when Cedric answered. "Of course, sir." He replied, turning back to me and pressing a kiss to my forehead before he followed the Headmaster down to the other end of the corridor.

I walked to one of the nearest archways that led out into the rain soaked courtyard. I leaned against the cool stone and let my thoughts wander for a few moments. I didn't pay any attention to them; I simply watched the rain fall, its endless pattern seemed to trigger the tears that were suddenly streaming down my cheeks. It was only then that I realized how frightened I really was.

I didn't want Cedric to see me cry, it was the last thing he needed. So, to hide my sudden burst of emotion, I stepped out into the rain, letting it wet my hair and flow across my skin, clearing me of any distracting thoughts. I tipped my head back and waited as the cool water washed away my tears.

I jumped slightly when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around my stomach. "Amber, what on earth are you doing out here?" Cedric asked, turning me around so that I was facing him. He studied my expression for a moment before grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the large tree on the other side of the courtyard. The one that I liked, it had drippy leaves that hid you from the outside world.

We ran across the wet grass, and in that short moment, I let my fears trail behind me. We ran from our concerns, we ran from our distress and our anger. But we ran towards love, and towards life.

We ducked under the drooping leaves and into the quiet shelter of the large tree. I wandered to the large trunk and leaned against it, my breath coming in quiet, shallow gasps. Cedric walked over to me and brushed some of my wet hair from my face before his hand moved to support my neck. He leaned down and our lips met in a gentle kiss.

I could feel his worry for me and the way I was acting as our lips moved together, rain slipped through the leaves and landed on our skin, dripping down our cheeks as we clung to each other. These little moments were what I lived for; I'd never known such a love to be so powerful, but then again, I wasn't exactly what you would call normal, so nothing was really out of the ordinary for me.

Cedric took my bottom lip between his teeth and bit on it slightly, earning a quiet giggle from me. It had been a long time since I'd laughed; the stress of everything just wore down on me to the extent that I had to force myself to smile when I just wanted to worry.

I don't know how long we spent under that tree, but, time didn't matter to us. As long as we had each other, that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Emmett: Aw..  
BWA: Yeah, it's a bit like that, isn't it?  
Amber: It's all so stressful..  
BWA: I know, sweetie.. But it'll get better.  
Emmett: It has to get worse beforehand though.  
Amber: I know.  
Cedric: -Cuddles-  
BWA: Once again, I'm sorry for the shortness of this chapter.. But I'll update within the next day or so, kay?  
Emmett: Kay!  
BWA: ..Where's Harry?  
Emmett: Somewhere around here.. Who knows.  
Amber: He's nervous again.. he needs a pick-me-up.  
BWA: ....Who wants pancakes?!  
Everyone: Woo! -Runs to kitchen-  
BWA: Wow.. I really know how to clear a room. -Giggles- Well, leave us a review, kay? I really do enjoy hearing from you.  
Emmett: -Calls out- Come on, Elise! I'm hungry!  
BWA: Alright, alright. -Laughs- See you again soon! -Waves-  
Emmett: Pancaaaaaaaaaakes!**

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	14. Stay Strong

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Amber: -Squeals- Look, look! They're back!  
BWA: Oh! Hey! -Waves-  
Emmett: I hate to break the happy moment.. but seriously, could this have taken any longer?  
Cedric: ...Probably.  
Emmett: Okay, fair enough.  
BWA: On that note, I'm so sorry that this took so long! But, as most of you would have noticed, FF went all funny - it wouldn't let me update, reply to reviews or even leave reviews myself. Which really ticked me off. Finally, I've been able to get around to updating, school is really starting to get to me. -Blushes- I have to pick my classes for year 12 next week and I'm totally freaking out because I'm pretty much setting myself up for College. Eep!  
Emmett: It's not until next year, though. Why the heck are you freaking out?  
BWA: o.O .... -Shrugs- I don't know.. It's just what I do.  
Harry: -Whines-  
BWA: Okay, okay. This is the first half of the Third Task! I know! So scary! We're getting close to the end of our story now.. Sad, isn't it?  
Amber: Yeah, but we've still got a bit to go, right?  
BWA: Right. -Smiles-  
Amber: Yay!  
BWA: By the way, thank you for all the fabulous reviews! I'm happy that you weren't too cranky with me for giving you such a short chapter. This one is a bit bigger. -Grins-  
Emmett: -Looks at Harry- I think he's starting to freak out.  
Amber: He's been freaking out for ages.. It's what he does.  
Harry: ....-Eye twitches-  
Everyone: O.o  
BWA: Uh.. okay.. Well, um.. We'll let you go on ahead and read now, kay? Take a deep breath, everyone!  
Emmett: Here we go!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. Amber belongs to me. Cedric doesn't... dang it!

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_Chapter fourteen  
Stay Strong_

As my eyes opened to the new day, I realized – with a horrible sinking sensation – that today was the day of the Third Task.

I could tell that Harry was trying to keep his cool, but much to his dismay, he was failing miserably. After the others had gone down to the Great Hall for breakfast, it was just Harry and I left in the Common Room, and he was starting to freak out.

"Harry," I called, walking over to him and placing my hands on his shoulders. He looked up at me and for a second I thought that he was going to start running around the room, pulling at his hair and screaming like a crazy person. "Harry, I know you're scared… But please, _please _don't let this get to you."

He stared at me as I spoke. "I don't know what to do… I don't know what to expect, I don't… I…"

"Stop." I demanded in a soft voice, cutting him off. "Just relax, breathe. Everything is okay."

He took a deep breath and tried his best to smile. "You're sure?"

Ignoring the sudden twist in my stomach, I skillfully avoided answering. "Don't think about it, alright? I'll watch out for you, no matter what."

He nodded and reached out for me, pulling me into a tight hug; I could feel his stress and fear as he clung to me, but I did my best to brighten my mood. It was okay to be scared. It meant that you knew of danger, to be strong, you have to be scared.

"Now," I began, pulling back and smiling warmly at him, pushing my thoughts away. "We should probably get down for breakfast before Ron eats everything on your plate."

Harry laughed quietly before he got up and wandered out the door. I stayed behind for a few seconds, calming myself down before I followed.

Cedric was waiting outside for me, leaning against the railing next to the stairs. His eyes held the love and compassion that they usually did, but underneath there was a spark of concern.

He sighed my name and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me. I hugged him back fiercely. I knew that he needed to feel that I was really here, and that I wasn't going to leave. I felt the same way he did.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in somewhat of a blur; I spent most of my time double checking the grounds, to make sure that nothing got in. I checked in on Harry every now and again, just to see how he was doing. The rest of my free time was spent with Cedric; we didn't talk much, we just sat together and enjoyed the company.

Cedric's father showed up around Midday, so Cedric had to go and see him before he went to converse with the teachers. He made me go with him; I'd only met Cedric's father once, and I didn't really talk to him… how was it going to go when Cedric properly introduced him to the love of his life? Girlfriend didn't exactly fit right.

When we walked into Dumbledore's office, where Amos was, Cedric cleared his throat, capturing his father's attention.

"Cedric, my boy!" The man exclaimed, rushing over to envelope his son in a hug. "It's good to see you."

Cedric smiled in response before gesturing towards me. "Dad, this is Amber Dawson." He stated, an undertone of affection rolling out from his lips.

Amos Diggory grinned and held his hand out, "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Dawson. Cedric has told me plenty about you."

I blushed; he knew everything.

"I'm terribly sorry that I didn't get the chance to speak with you at the World Cup. The Ministry knows all about your strange powers, young lady."

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other; I didn't like the Ministry, it made me uncomfortable.

Cedric noticed my distress and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Well, Amber and I should probably get going, we've still got a few more things to do before the Third Task." He pulled me closer when I flinched. "We'll see you later."

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Diggory." I chimed as we walked out the door.

Once we were out of earshot, I started laughing, it felt nice. "That was so awkward!" I wailed through fits of giggles.

Cedric smiled down at me, "I thought you did brilliantly. You completely won him over."

I rolled my eyes at him as we wandered down the corridors, "I hardly said a word!"

"You didn't have to." He replied. "Didn't you see him take a moment to stare? You dazzled him into silence, Amber."

I laughed again and leaned my head against his shoulder, "At least he likes me."

"My father would take a shine to whomever I chose. He just wants me to be happy."

I looked up at him with a quizzical expression. "_Are _you happy?"

His eyes widened as he looked down at me, "Amber, I've never been this happy before in my life." He dropped a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled and leaned against him. "I'm glad."

* * *

Before I knew it, the afternoon had rolled around and the sun had begun to set over the hills.

It was around then that Cedric and I, along with the other Champions, made our way down to a little outdoor auditorium, sort of like a smaller version of the Dragon arena. Our hands stayed wrapped in one others as we walked, we didn't speak much, just a muttered comment every now and again. Our anxiety continued to rise.

Dumbledore caught me as we walked into a little room where the four Champions could take a breather. I locked eyes with Harry who had taken my advice and calmed himself down. He smiled at me as I wandered out of the room and into the cool afternoon air.

"Are you alright, Amber?" He asked, and I almost laughed at the odd sense of déjà vu.

I shrugged, "I don't think I'm going get much better, Professor." I whispered, my fear almost bubbling up and overflowing.

Dumbledore nodded and rested his hand on my shoulder. "You know just as well as I do that nothing will happen to them, we'll keep them safe."

I made a small little whimper of a noise before I nodded, "You're right. It's just… with Cedric… lately; everything's been getting really stressful, after we found Mr. Crouch. I've been absolutely terrified."

He nodded in understanding. "I know this is hard on you, Amber; and I'm sorry for adding to your anxiety. I apologize for keeping you from the person that you need most, but this is the last thing we ask of you."

My eyes widened as I listened, my panic ceasing for a few moments. My moods were all over the place lately. "Professor, I've been more than happy to help. I'll admit that my tolerance for things hasn't been… practical; but you know that I offered my help and that I'd do whatever I could."

He laughed quietly in shock. "Amber, you've done so much for us; your powers are still maturing, don't even think about feeling guilty for growing as a person."

I smiled a little, "Thank you, Professor."

The old man smiled a small smile in response. "The only thing I want you to do today is just to keep a small eye on Harry, and Cedric if you wish. If you even begin to feel the tugging of Dark Magic, I want you to alert the nearest teacher immediately, the last thing we want is for you to go through another painful ordeal."

I nodded as I listened, a small shudder rolling down my spine as I recalled that fateful night that the first murder took place. "Consider it done, sir."

"Thank you, Amber." He mumbled, "You can go back to the others now."

Needing no further encouragement, I turned and all but raced through the small curtain. Cedric shot up from where he'd been sitting and I melted into his arms in an instant. He breathed my name as his arms wrapped around me, he was trembling a little.

Dumbledore spoke to Cedric's father for a few minutes before letting us know that it was nearly time to head out. I could hear the cheering students just outside our little room; I didn't want to leave and have to face the certainty of what was waiting.

"Amber?" I heard Harry call, his voice soft.

I turned in Cedric's arms to see Harry glancing over at me from the other side of the room. I carefully swiveled out of Cedric's warm grip to wander over to Harry. Before I was completely in front of him, his arms wrapped around my middle and he pulled me to him in a constricting hug.

"Thank you," He whispered into my shoulder.

I sighed and wound my arms around him, hugging him close. "You're welcome."

"I'm scared."

"I know," I soothed. "And that's okay, but as I've said before; you're ready for this. Whatever _this _is." I managed to laugh at my own weak joke. "Harry, you've fought dragons and rescued people from the bottom of the Black Lake. If that doesn't prove that you're ready to finish this Tournament, then I don't know what is." I heard my voice crack as concern for my strong-willed friend neared the surface, but I managed to force it back down.

"You're sure?" He asked.

I smiled into his unruly hair, "Positive."

I felt him nod against my shirt before we peeled ourselves free, my hand rested on his shoulder as Dumbledore came to stand by us.

"It's time," He announced.

Cedric and I shared a glance before he wandered after his father who had raced out of the room to give his son a proper introduction.

Harry and Dumbledore walked out after the others, and I took a deep breath before I followed, sticking close to the outer rim of the little auditorium. My gaze travelled to the large maze; large grass hedges challenged each other to be higher than before. A low, daunting mist clung to the ground, shadowing the dangers that lurked inside.

I watched as Dumbledore went to stand on the mini podium in the middle of the arching circle. "Shush!" He cried, immediately silencing the loud audience.

"Earlier today," He began. "Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup, deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mr. Diggory –" A whole bunch of Huffelpuff students suddenly lurched up from their seats, cheering madly. "And Mr. Potter," the same thing with the Gryffindor students. "-Tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr. Krum, and Miss De Lacour." Needless to say, the other school reacted with enthusiasm. "First person to touch the cup will be the winner!"

Dumbledore paused for a few seconds, letting the crowd cheer until they were content. The Champions moved to their allocated entrances. Unable to help it, my eyes filled with tears, my breath coming in quiet, broken pants. I tried my hardest to keep silent.

"I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, should at any point a contestant wish to withdraw from the task; he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands." With that, he turned to the four students standing behind him. "Contestants? Gather round!"

As the Champions grouped around him, I leaned forward a little, listening intently.

"In the maze, you'll find no Dragons or creatures of the deep; instead, you'll face something even more challenging. You see, people _change _in the maze. Oh, find the cup if you can, but be very wary; you could just lose yourselves along the way."

I watched with wide, hysteric eyes as the four students moved to their separate entrances again. As Cedric and his father shared a tender moment, my heart ached for my other half. This was something that I'd always dreaded… We were being forced apart.

When Cedric saw my wide, agonized eyes, my tear-streaked face and my heartbroken expression, he stepped forward, his beautiful face pained.

I pushed off from the wall I was leaning on and sprinted to him, we collided a few moments later. Our arms wound around each other as we clung to one another for dear life, my tears dripped onto his shirt, but he didn't care. He just breathed evenly into my hair.

"Don't leave me," I sobbed into his shoulder, "Please… please don't."

He trembled violently before pulling away a little, just enough so that he could gaze into my eyes for a few tender moments before he ducked his head and pressed his lips to my own.

As it normally did, Cedric's lips sent a shock of adrenaline through my body, but the fear and anxiety that filled every pore in my body made me whimper against his lips as he parted them, my tears falling freely. Our hands grasped blindly once again, aching to hold each other, not having to worry about leaving. My fingers trailed through the silky softness of his hair a few times before we parted, his lips brushing against my own as I continued to cry.

"I'll always come back to you, I promise." He breathed. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I whispered. "I'll be waiting."

He smiled a little before stepping backwards, I immediately yearned for him. My tears flowed rapidly as he turned and walked into the grassy maze. He looked over his shoulder at me as the leaves closed in on the entrance, trapping him inside.

I turned my head to lock eyes with Harry a split second before he walked into the maze, he smiled and gave me a small nod, and I ran my hands through my hair as I returned the gesture.

When I looked in front of me again, I was met with green. Overcome with pain, I fell to my knees, simply staring straight ahead as my tears continued to fall. Dark Magic had nothing on the pain that echoed every thump of my heart that beat without Cedric.

I hoped, with everything that I was and more, that he would be okay.

* * *

**BWA: Yeah.. Amber's starting to break down!  
Amber: Am not!  
BWA: Okay.. maybe not so much breaking down, but she's worried.  
Amber: Thank you, Captain Obvious. Considering the fact that it's going to be almost impossible trying to keep track of the two boneheads in that maze.. There's lots of little tricks in there.  
Emmett: Blah, blah, blah.  
Amber: -Glares-  
Emmett: -Laughs- Lighten up, I'm just playing.  
Hermione: So.. what do we do now? Harry and Cedric are in the maze.. do we just wait?  
Ron: Obviously.  
Hermione: -Rolls eyes-  
Amber: What do you think Fred and George are up to?  
Emmett: Um.. last time I saw them they were in the kitchen mixing some random stuff together. I was a little too nervous to ask about it.  
Amber: -Shudders- Good thinking.  
BWA: Alrighty! Well.. hopefully the next update doesn't take so long. FF better be nice to us, no?  
Emmett: What do you think of this chapter? Like it? Love it? Let us know!  
BWA: Yep! Oh! And the next chapter is another CPOV. Woo! I'm so excited! So, hopefully that encourages you to leave a review and tell us all how excited you are.  
Emmett: -Laughs- Do you think if we listen carefully we'll be able to hear them?  
BWA: I don't know.. let's try..  
Harry: -In the distance- You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out, you put your left foot in and you shake it all about; you do the Hokey Pokey and you turn around, that's what it's all about!  
Cedric: -Distantly- I could really use a sandwich right about now.. maybe some chips.. some soft drink would be nice.. maybe a lollipop.  
Everyone: -Laughs-  
BWA: Well.. -Giggles- at the least the two know how to keep themselves occupied. We'll check in on them again later.. Until then, tell us what you think! Thanks, lovelies!  
Cedric: -Quietly- Cheeeeeeeeeeeeese!**

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	15. Losing Touch

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BWA: Are you ready for the Third Task?  
Emmett: Are you ready for CPOV?!?!  
BWA: ...Subtle, Emmett. Well, since Cedric and Harry are still in the maze and Amber is waiting with the others... over the hedge?  
Emmett: His name is Steve!  
BWA: Anyway.. since Amber and the others are... over there.. It's pretty much just me and Emmett for this AN. Unless we listen real hard for the others.  
Emmett: Want to try?  
BWA: Sure. -Listens-  
Cedric: -Stomach rumbles- I'm so hungry! That twig looks tasty.. Ew! Oh, that's gross. Ow! Evil vine.. the twig wasn't attached to you!  
Emmett: Cedric's eating plants.. never a good thing to do when you're in a maze with a good backhand.  
BWA: -Giggles- Shhhh.  
Harry: -Sings Harry Potter Tune- Da daaaa da da daaa da daaaa daaaa, daaa da da daaaaa da daaaaaaaa.  
Emmett: Sounds a little demented.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- How long have they been in there, anyway?  
Emmett: ...Few days.  
BWA: Oops. Maybe we should throw them some food?  
Emmett: Eh.  
BWA: Okay.. well... this is a full CPOV chapter! I know, right? Cedric goes a little crazy.. not like -Pulls crazy face- But more so going crazy with panic and fear. You see what I mean?  
Emmett: Not at all.  
BWA: That was helpful.  
Amber: -In the distance- Okay, everyone! Mexican Wave!!!!!  
BWA: It sounds like they're having fun over there..  
Emmett: Maybe we should try a Mexican Wave? -Raises arms above head too fast and falls off chair-  
BWA: -Laughs- Well done, Emmett. Okay, enough of our stupidity, dear readers.  
Emmett: -Peeks over the chair- Onward!

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_Chapter fifteen  
Losing Touch_

**CPOV**

Darkness; the only thing that came to mind when the maze entrance closed off.

Everything was absolutely silent; a low, menacing haze clung to the ground. Clouds hung overhead, allowing no light to come into this horrid maze.

My heart beat unevenly, and even though the challenge had started, I couldn't bring myself to move my feet; for every step I took, I distanced myself from Amber. And I couldn't do that.

The look on her face when I had to leave danced behind my eyes; never before had I seen such agony on her beautiful face. I could only begin to imagine what it was like for her when we were separated. My heart was just a few feet away, but I couldn't get to it.

Standing here wasn't going to do anything. The sooner I found the cup, the sooner I could get back to Amber. I had to do this… for her.

I walked down the long aisle of greenery, the hedges towered over my head, sending uncomfortable chills down my spine. Unable to help it, I picked up into a jog, going down whatever new hall of leaves I was met with.

As I ran, I couldn't help but wonder why I ever put my name in that Goblet. It sounded like fun at the time, and my friends were nagging me. I didn't want the glory, I just wanted an experience to carry with me into the future. I wasn't expecting anything like this…

But, thanks to the Tournament, I had found Amber. She was such a pivotal part in all this, it gave me the opportunity to get close to her, to find out what went through her head at times. I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.

A quiet little snap from behind me broke my concentration, and I whirled around; wand at the ready. But there was nothing there. I ran a hand through my hair before I turned and ran down a different aisle.

As I moved, I let my thoughts wander towards Amber, it helped to keep me calm.

_It was the day before the Third Task. A rainy day, terrific. _

_Amber and I were wandering aimlessly through the school corridors, simply enjoying the time that we had left. The emerald-eyed girl next to me seemed oddly distracted… as she had been the last few days, but there was an edge of stress to the tightening of her hand in mine. I was just about to ask her what was wrong when –_

"_Mr. Diggory?" _

_The two of us turned to see Professor Dumbledore staring at us. He seemed to be all business, wanting to share some important information. "May I speak with you for a moment, alone?"_

_Amber turned to me with a confused expression; obviously, the Headmaster's odd request stumped her just as much as it did me. Dumbledore never asked us to separate, not even for a conversation. But who was I to say no?_

"_Of course, Sir." I replied. _

_I turned my gaze back to Amber, who looked exceedingly panicked. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, the familiar current of electricity flowed from my lips down to my toes. I could feel her tension ease slightly. I smiled a little before I turned and walked over to Dumbledore who was watching Amber over my shoulder._

"_Cedric," He began, walking towards me. "As you know, the Third Task is tomorrow. I just wanted to see how you were doing."_

_Surprise overwhelmed me for a few moments before I spoke, "Uh… I'm doing well, Professor… I really don't think I can get much better in the current situation."_

_He nodded, pacing. "I see. How is Amber taking things?"_

"_She's stressed, immensely so, but she's taking it well. She's trying not to let it get to her. After… Mr. Crouch, she's been a little more on edge."_

_The old Headmaster sighed quietly, "I can't even begin to imagine what she went through that night… It was completely unfair to her. She really is one of the strongest people I've ever met."_

"_She is," I agreed._

"_I hope you realize just how much she needs you, Cedric." He stated._

_I was startled, what a change of topic._

"_Never before have I seen such intense love. It breaks her heart to be away from you; very nearly causing her physical pain. Every time you're away, she worries. At a time like this, she can't be left on her own. She needs you."_

_My heart ached for the green eyed angel out in the courtyard. I never knew that this hurt her so much… I loved her with all my heart. I never wanted to be without her._

"_I do, Professor." I replied. "I do know."_

_He nodded once before speaking again, his tone was saturated with awe. "She's a remarkable girl. Gifts so far beyond the norm, and being able to control them so completely at such a young age; we still don't know where this is going to end up. What more is she capable of?" I stayed quiet as he continued speaking. "That night of Barty's murder, she fought against the pain inflicted on her, all for her safety and the safety of her friends." He smiled a little before turning back to me. "Keep her safe, she needs you just as much as you need her. Go to her, she's waiting for you." He instructed, jerking his chin once over my shoulder._

_I needed no further encouragement. I turned and made my way to the courtyard, slowing to a walk when I took in Amber, her back was to me, and her head was raised up towards the rain. Confused, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her stomach._

"_Amber, what on earth are you doing out here?" I asked, turning her around to face me._

_Her eyes were slightly glassy, her lips quivering the tiniest bit. She'd been crying._

_I clenched my teeth in determination. I hated seeing her anything but happy. She made a small noise when I tugged her across the courtyard to her favourite tree. The rain pelted against our faces as we ran, but we didn't care. _

_Amber weaved through the droopy vines and moved to lean against the tree trunk. Even soaking wet, she was gorgeous. Her eyes were wide with the sudden burst of adrenaline, her hair was wet and close to black with the moisture in it, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were parted, allowing her to pull in quiet, shallow breaths. The rain that we had just been out in rolled down her skin, one drop in particular flowed down the skin of her neck, tempting me._

_Unable to help myself, I closed the distance between myself and her in a few strides, reached behind her head with my right hand to support her neck before leaning down to press my lips to hers. Relishing in the feel of them moving against mine._

_Oh, how I loved her._

I smiled slightly at the memory; I ached to be with her again.

Turning down yet another corner, I was met with an eerie hall; it didn't appeal to me at all, so I turned to head back, but the entrance that I'd just come through suddenly closed off, the aisle closing in on both sides.

I breathed harshly through my nose as I raced towards the end of the lengthy hall, leaves and twigs whipped at my face as I dived onto the ground. Silence.

I wanted to get out.

* * *

I lost track of time after a while, simply wandering aimlessly. My panic began to bubble up to the surface. With every step that I took, my heart clenched painfully. I wanted to be back with my angel, I didn't want her to be sad anymore.

_Concentrate, Cedric. _I scolded myself. _You promised her you'd make it back to her, now hurry up and get out of here._

I set my jaw; I was going to keep my promise, even if it killed me.

A sudden, high pitched scream pierced the silence; it sounded like Fleur. I couldn't tell which direction it came from so that I could help. A few moments later, a loud bang sounded above my head. I looked up to see fading red sparks… someone quit. Was it Fleur?

I shivered violently before turning and racing down another leafy corridor, my breath coming in heavy pants as I ran. I skidded to a stop when I spotted Viktor Krum a few feet ahead.

"What's wrong, Diggory?" He taunted. "Missing your girl?"

My eyes narrowed, he never spoke badly of Amber.

"I don't see why you bother with her, she's nothing special."

"Shut up!" I cried, swinging my wand and sending a stunning spell in his direction. He deflected it with ease.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Cedric!" He cried, shouting something in a strange language.

It was then that Harry appeared in between us.

"Get down!" I shouted as the spell from Viktor's wand flew over his head. "Expelliarmus!" I cried, sighing in relief as he fell to the ground.

I ran straight past Harry and kicked the wand out of Viktor's hand. He would pay for what he said about Amber. I aimed my wand at his chest.

"No, don't!" Harry suddenly shouted, grabbing my arm and trying to force me backwards. "Stop! He's bewitched, Cedric!"

"Get off me!" I cried, pushing him away. I could feel my fear and panic filling my body, I was suddenly terrified, I had to get out! I couldn't take this anymore!

I spun back around and sprinted out the way I had just come in. My legs pushed me forward as my wide eyes searched for a means of escape. I knew that a way out was close. I could _feel _it. Harry suddenly grabbed my shirt and pulled me backwards. No! I had to get out!

We ripped and tore at each other, I didn't know whether he wanted to get out or if he wanted to win, but I had to leave! I was going insane!

We rounded a corner and a bright light at the end of the corridor sent hope shooting through every inch of my body.

The Triwizard Cup shone intently against the darkness that surrounded it. A beacon, a means of escape. The one thing that would take me back to Amber. I didn't want Eternal Glory; I wanted my angel safe in my arms again.

"Yes!" Harry whispered beside me.

It was then that I realized only one of us could claim the cup. What if the rest of us remained trapped in this terrible maze?

I couldn't risk that.

We broke into a sprint once again, racing down the final corridor. The maze seemed to realize that we were nearing the end, as roots and vines whipped out and grabbed at our hands at feet, the twigs slicing at our skin.

I watched my horrid mistake with perfect clarity; I stepped forward just as a root wrapped around my ankle. I tumbled to the ground and felt all the air being pushed out of my lungs from the impact.

I writhed against the dirt as the maze grabbed at me in an attempt to pull me into darkness. I clawed desperately at the ground, but it was no use. I could feel the thorns in the vines scratching against my skin, my anger fueled madly as I thrashed about.

_NO!! _I had to get out!!

"Harry!" I cried, sobs pulling up my throat as despair filled me. "Harry!" My voice cracked as I thought of Amber's tear streaked face when she heard that I had been claimed by the maze. How she would fall to her knees and scream in agony, how she would fall into mourning and never resurface. I couldn't let that happen to her.

I made her a promise, dammit!

"Reducto!" I heard Harry cry, and then a few seconds later, the vines and roots froze before they slinked away.

Harry came to kneel next to me so that he could help me rip the stunned plants off. I shot straight up, terrified that they would come back to life and try to take me again.

I shook violently as I gasped for breath, trying to get my lungs to work again. In that moment, I was able to think clearly. My sudden worries disappeared as I stood there, although my mind continued to reel.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"No problem," Harry gasped.

"You know," I began, remembering something. "For a moment there, I thought you were gonna let it… get me."

Harry seemed to have a small realization as I spoke. "For a moment, so did I."

I shuddered.

"Some game, huh?" I muttered, still shocked by everything that had happened within the last few minutes.

"Some game…" He agreed.

I looked up when a strong gust of wind whipped across my sweaty skin, making me shiver slightly. The entire length of the grassy aisle was quivering from the strength of this sudden gust, twigs, leaves and dirt flew towards us as the wind picked up. If we didn't run now, we were going to be lost for good.

"Go!" I shouted, turning to sprint towards the glowing cup. Harry raced alongside me.

When we came to a stop right in front of the prize, confusion and indecision swept over me. Did I take it and get back to Amber, or let Harry take it and get the respect that he deserved for saving my life? In a second, I had made my decision.

"Go on, take it." I urged as the wind continued on. "You saved me, _take it!_"

"Together!" Harry shouted over the howling wind. I didn't have enough time to deny him.

We counted down together, "One, two, three!"

The two of us lurched forward and grabbed onto the handles in unison; I was surprised to feel the familiar sensation of the ground disappearing from under my feet as Harry and I were sucked into a portal. My head spun as we flipped and rolled, suddenly coming into contact with the ground. The Cup flew out of my hand and landed a few good feet away.

I groaned quietly as we lay on the grass, the sudden quiet was eerie and disturbing.

"You okay?" I asked as Harry stood up on shaky legs.

"Yeah," he replied. "You?"

I rolled over onto my stomach and pushed up, standing as I took in my surroundings. We seemed to be in a graveyard of sorts. Old tombstones leaned against each other while some remained standing, heavy clouds lingered above our heads, but a small ray of light rimmed the edges.

"Where are we?" I asked, confused.

Harry didn't answer for a few moments, but when he did, he sounded panicked. "I've been here before."

When a glimmer of light caught my eye, I wandered back to the glowing object that I had thrown across the graveyard.

"It's a Portkey," I mumbled, "Harry, the cup is a Portkey."

"I've been here before," He repeated, the fear in his tone capturing my attention. "In a dream…" I immediately thought back to the dreams that Amber told me about. "Cedric, we have to get back to the cup. _Now!_"

I wandered towards him, my thoughts still slightly muddled. "What are you talking about?"

A low creaking noise broke the silence, and a few short seconds later, Harry started screaming. A low fire burning to life under a large cauldron that I hadn't noticed before.

"Harry, what is it?" I asked, kneeling down next to him as he crumpled to the floor.

"Get back to the cup!" He ordered.

I looked up to see a tatty looking man, his hair in patches across the top of his chubby head. His facial features made me think of a rat. He was covered in dirt and old scars; a black blanket was grasped tightly in his arms, a small, pale, mangled body wrapped inside.

I shot back up, ripping my wand from my pocket and gripping it with both hands, holding it up and away from my head. "Who are you, what do you want?" I shouted.

"Kill the spare!" A tiny, whispery voice demanded.

The short, stubby man swung his wand at me, "Avada Kedavra!" He cried.

The following moment burned into my mind with perfect clarity. The sickly green light shot out from the man's wand and flew towards me. I knew what spell it was, the killing curse.

Agony ripped through me when I realized that I wouldn't make it back to Amber. I broke my promise. But, in a stroke of last minute genius, I realized that I could still say goodbye.

I concentrated as hard as I could, pushing my sight towards my emerald-eyed angel who waited for me back at the beginning of the maze. With the terrifying sight that I was showing her, I send a thought with it. Merely a whisper on the wind.

_Goodbye, I love you._

* * *

**BWA: Dry your tears, lovelies! -Holds out box of tissues-  
Emmett: -Blows nose- That's so sad.  
BWA: Aww. Come here.. -Cuddles- Now, don't panic. I never said he dies in this story.. In fact, I said the opposite. But, in the next chapter, you find out exactly how he survives.  
Emmett: Why can't I hear anything?  
BWA: Huh? Oh! I sort of had to press the pause button on the My Heart remote. We had to make the spell stop until the next chapter.  
Emmett: Oh. Good thinking. So... everyone else is frozen?  
BWA: Yup.  
Emmett: Hmm... -Runs and draws a mustache on Ron's face- It suits him.. in a scary way.  
BWA: -Giggles- He's not gonna like you very much for that.  
Emmett: I'll blame someone else.  
BWA: Smart. Okay.. since we have absolutely no one else to talk to, we're gonna head off.  
Emmett: But, before you go, leave us a review!  
BWA: Yes, please? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.  
Emmett: Want to go and wreak havoc on the frozen people?  
BWA: How do you suggest we do that?  
Emmett: Oh, you know.. Putting bananas in front of people who are walking, drawing on people's faces, stealing people's pants.. the usual.  
BWA: Let's do it. -Grins- We'll be back soon for the next chapter! We'll see you then!**

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	16. Midnight Showdown

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BWA: Hey! It's good to see you again!  
Emmett: We're still paused!  
BWA: -Giggles- Yeah, we are.. We've been having a lot of fun with our frozen characters. Emmett sort of attacked Snape with silly string.. I'm looking forward to seeing his reaction.  
Emmett: Like I said, I'll just blame someone else.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Well, I did my best to make sure I didn't make you wait for too long. I wanted to build the suspense a little, though.  
Emmett: Because you're evil.  
BWA: -Shrugs- Eh.  
Emmett: So, we find out how Cedric survives in this chapter?  
BWA: We sure do! Exciting, huh?  
Emmett: Very.  
BWA: To be honest, I'm a little iffy about this chapter. But, I hope you guys like it, that's really all that matters.  
Emmett: Aww, that's cute.  
BWA: Shut up, Emmett.  
Emmett: You love me! -Cuddles-  
BWA: Yeah, I do. But I think we've been hanging out by ourselves for long enou - holy crap! Emmett, did you put a stick up that kid's nose?  
Emmett: Huh? -Looks- Oh, yeah - I did that.  
BWA: That's really gross.  
Emmett: I know. But, that kid was about to sneeze when we pressed pause, so.. I want to see what happens.  
BWA: -Giggles- Fine. Okay, are you ready for me to press play?  
Emmett: Yes I am!  
BWA: Okay, here we go.. -Presses play button-

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. Amber belongs to me, which I think is pretty awesome, don't you?

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_Chapter sixteen  
Midnight Showdown_

**APOV:**

My heart gave a sudden painful lurch as I waited on the grass. Something had changed.

Something was wrong.

Before I had time to register the sudden change, I was overwhelmed with a sight that was not my own.

Through blue tinted eyes, I watched as flickers of a lonely graveyard danced behind my eyes. Harry crumpled on the ground, the Triwizard Cup, glowing dimly with its strange light. Wormtail, holding a familiar frail body. Then a horribly familiar green light shooting towards Cedric's chest.

As soon as the sight disappeared, a violent snarl ripped up my throat as I lurched forward. One moment, I was staring at the leaves that I had become familiar with; the next, I was watching the killing curse race towards me, Cedric's familiar body heat beating against my back.

I didn't have time to think about what had happened. My hands shot out in front of me and I watched as a clear bubble shot out from my hands before hugging tight to my body, as well as Cedric's. It wasn't noticeable, simply a warped spot in the clear night.

I could literally taste the curse on the back of my tongue - a terrible, bitter taste – as the spell wrapped around my shield, hurling the two of us backwards. We hit the ground with a forceful crash, Cedric's back slammed against the dirt and I landed beside him. The air rushed out of my lungs as I stared into Cedric's wide eyes.

"Amber?" He breathed.

I wanted to cry with relief, the shield worked, he was alive. His right hand moved infinitesimally to grip mine; I squeezed his warm fingers, faintly noticing a dark bruise forming on my arm.

"Don't move," I hissed, "Stay quiet."

I turned my head a tiny bit to watch as Wormtail seemed to dance around a black cauldron, Harry was pressed against the familiar stone sculpture of the Grim Reaper, the stick on the evil man's blade rested under his chin, holding him there. I felt a spasm of panic, knowing that I had to stay still for the time being. They thought we were dead, after all.

"Bone… of the father… unwillingly… given." Wormtail began, said bone dropping into the cauldron. "Flesh… of the servant, willingly… sacrificed."

I squeezed my eyes shut as the gut churning slice of metal against skin rang in my ears. The stupid man cut his hand off!

I could hear Harry's labored breathing as Wormtail rushed towards him; the knife that had just hacked off one of his limbs was now pressed against Harry's arm.

"And blood of the enemy… forcibly taken."

I trembled violently as Harry screamed, the sound ringing in my ears. I curled against Cedric, staring up at him with wide eyes. His jaw was tight; he was just as disturbed as me. I didn't look away as my sight suddenly jumped to Harry's.

"The Dark Lord," Wormtail continued, shaking the knife above the bubbling water. "Shall rise… again."

Harry screamed again, a pain that I thankfully couldn't feel rushing through his body; it was merely a tingle to me. Thanks to the barriers inside my head that held strong, but, with what was coming, I could tell that they were going to take a beating.

The cauldron burst into flame as Wormtail fled, Harry and I watched – cries still ripping from his lips, as the flames melted into a mangled body. Much to my shock, it began to take shape, and I could feel the familiar burn begin in my fingertips.

A dark haze that clung to the diminished flames gathered around the sudden standing form. It washed over the new addition, creating a billowing black cloak.

Harry continued to protest, his cries lost in the sudden intensity. I watched, with great concentration, as the pale body ran it's long, clawed fingers connected to thin hands across its bald head. I was guessing that this person was a male.

We watched as the man made a small noise, stepping towards Wormtail, who had come out of hiding. The burn spread from my fingers to my elbows, it was dull, but still painful. My blockades were almost crumbling under the pressure.

I whimpered quietly, still watching through Harry's eyes, as Cedric traced my lips with the tips of his fingers. Only then did I realize that they were quivering against the pain. The warmth against my shaking lips calmed me down some, and I had to work hard to concentrate again.

"My wand, Wormtail." The man whispered, the sound of it triggered an old memory, and with a sharp spasm in my ribs, I realized that this was Voldemort; reincarnated.

I couldn't see what was happening through Harry's heavy lidded eyes, but I could make out the shapes, although things were slightly blurred to him, they were crystal clear to me. I could distantly see Wormtail bend forward, handing him something. His wand was my guess.

"Hold out your arm," Voldemort instructed in the same whispery voice.

"Master," Wormtail gushed, "Thank you."

"The other arm, Wormtail." The voice spat, I was immediately irritated, I needed to see what was going on.

The warmth disappeared from my lips, but my hand was still wrapped in Cedric's. We hardly moved, for fear of exposing ourselves. Our hands stayed clasped together in between us.

Harry's gaze shifted to the sky, effectively showing me the dark clouds that grouped together to form the Dark Mark. I flinched when the snake emerged from the giant skull's mouth, weaving towards the ground in its own slithery pattern.

I watched on in astonishment as several cloaked men appeared from the disturbingly dark smoke that swallowed their bodies. They stood in a semicircle around Voldemort, who seemed to have regained his energy; as he was spinning in slow circles, eyeing each member of his council. Each one had a skull mask covering the top half of their face.

"Welcome, my friends." The deathly pale wizard began. "Thirteen years, it's been – and yet, here you stand before me, as though it were only yesterday." He seemed to become agitated as he spoke, "I confess myself… disappointed." He said. "Not one of you tried to find me." He hissed, stepping forward. "Crabbe!" He walked up to the man and ripped at the mask on his face, which disappeared in a puff of black smoke. "McNair, Goyle!" He continued to circle his followers, calling their names as he ripped at their masks, until he reached the final standing figure.

"Not even you," He finished, his tone hard. "Lucius."

As the final man fell to his knees, I realized that there was only one person I knew with that name… Draco's father was a Death Eater?!

I felt Cedric squeeze my fingers as a loud snarl threatened to burst past my clenched teeth. I took a sharp breath and forced the noise back down my throat, willing myself to concentrate on what I was watching. I couldn't afford to miss any details… Not now.

"My Lord," Lucius Malfoy began, pleading in his nasally voice. "Had I detected any sign, a _whisper _of your whereabouts -"

"Oh, there were signs, my slippery friend." Voldemort hissed, interrupting him. "And more than whispers."

"I assure you, my Lord." Lucius began, "I have _never _renounced the old ways." He ripped the hood of his cloak off, revealing his disturbingly blonde hair. "The face I have been obliged to present each day since your… absence. _That _is my true mask."

The more these men spoke, the angrier I got… I wouldn't be able to keep myself under control much longer.

"I returned," Wormtail pointed out and Harry turned to watch him walk forward. He curled in on himself when Voldemort rushed to tower over him.

"Out of fear," He corrected. "Not loyalty." He seemed to ponder something for a few moments. "Still, you have proven yourself useful these last few months, Wormtail." He mused, stroking the patches of hair on the short mans head. With a swing of his wand, a flash of silver caught Harry's eye. Wormtail had just been given a replacement hand.

"Thank you, Master." Wormtail gushed once again. "Thank you."

It was then that Harry's gaze flicked to Cedric and I who were still lying motionless on the ground. Voldemort wandered towards us and I quickly gave up Harry's sight for a few moments, knowing that the bright shade of my eyes would give me away. I distantly felt Harry's sudden despair and anger at seeing me lying there on the ground. Presumably dead.

Cedric stared back at me, his face blank. We had to make it look like the spell had worked, for now. Our hands still gripped each others fingers tightly.

"Oh," Voldemort crooned, standing over us. He nudged Cedric's face with his foot and I fought to keep my expression neutral, my eyes blank and staring into nothingness. "Such a handsome boy." He muttered. "It looks like I got rid of yet another student. She's rather beautiful; the Silver Phoenix child, am I right? She mustn't have been very powerful. The two were an item, I'm guessing. Well, they died in a lovers embrace." He finished his recollection, bending down to trail his fingers down my neck. My skin burned wildly, the pain was almost unbearable. To be touched by someone made from the essence of Dark Magic, the sensation was sickening.

"Don't touch them!" Harry suddenly shouted, capturing the attention of the man that still stood over us. The closeness made my skin burn dimly, and I clenched my teeth together to stop from moving. As soon as he turned away, I was watching through Harry's eyes again. I knew I'd have to intervene soon.

"Harry," Voldemort breathed, feigning surprise that the boy had finally spoken up. "Oh, I'd almost… forgotten you were here." He continued, gliding forward. "Standing on the bones of my father." He bent up so that he was staring Harry in the eyes. "I'd introduce you but word has it you're almost as famous as me… these days."

He was silent for a moment before he spoke again, his tone full of disgust. "The boy who lived." Harry avoided eye contact with him when he turned back to him. "How lies have fed your legend, Harry." He seethed. "Shall I reveal what really happened that night, thirteen years ago?" He continued to speak as he wandered into the wide semicircle again. "Shall I divulge how I truly lost my powers?" He paused. "It was love. You see, when dear, sweet Lilly Potter gave her life for her only son, she provided the ultimate protection. I could not touch him… It was… old magic." He continued on, walking forward. "Something I should have foreseen. But no matter, no matter. Things have changed." In an instant, he was right in front of Harry, his hand hovering over the young boys scar. "I can touch you… now."

As soon as the pale man's finger came in contact with the lightening bolt scar on Harry's head, my connection was broken. I was met with Cedric's wide, panicked eyes as Harry screamed at the top of his lungs. My muscles twitched with the almost overwhelming desire to move. I had to bide my time, but this was just cruel. I breathed a sigh of relief when the screaming stopped.

"Astonishing what a few drops of your blood will do, eh, Harry?" Voldemort taunted, he sounded breathless. My muscles coiled, as if preparing to spring.

I curled in on myself as soon as a loud crash sounded from where Harry's was being held captive. I heard his body hit the floor with a dull thump before Voldemort spoke.

"Pick up your wand, Potter!" He demanded. "I said pick it up! Get up, get up!"

I heard Harry scramble about before the Dark Lord continued on. "You've been taught how to duel, I presume, yes?" He questioned, his tone mocking. "First we bow to each other… Come now, Harry. The niceties must be observed." He mumbled, obviously, Harry was still standing tall. "Dumbledore wouldn't want you to forget your manners now, would he?" He questioned in a scathing tone. "I said _bow._"

Harry suddenly groaned in pain, and I could taste yet another curse on the back of my tongue. I glanced up at Cedric who was watching me with pained eyes; the fact that I had to sit still was taking an amazing amount of concentration, although I continued to shiver, waiting… It wasn't easy being deprived of your sight when it would help to watch something… but I had to keep my head turned away, any movement that would capture attention had to be avoided, so I relied on my hearing.

"That's better…" Voldemort crooned, the sound of it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. "And now… _Crucio!"_

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head into the ground as if to escape from Harry's cries of discomfort as he was tortured by the unforgivable curse. Cedric squeezed my fingers. Not long now…

"Crucio!" Voldemort yelled again, and the graveyard was silent for a few moments, except for Harry's harsh breathing. "Atta boy, Harry. Your parents would be proud," He continued. "Especially your filthy Muggle mother…"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry cried weakly, before groaning again. Obviously… his attempt at causing the Dark Lord damage had backfired.

"I'm going to kill you, Harry Potter." The pale man stated in an ominous voice. "I'm going to destroy you…" I listened harder as his tone turned quiet, meant for Harry's ears and no one else's. "After tonight, no one will ever again question my powers. After tonight, if they speak of you they will speak only of how you… begged for death." He clarified, enjoying himself. "And I, being a merciful Lord… obliged."

"Get up!" He suddenly cried, the increase in volume left me dazed. Harry continued to cry out in protest; he must be in such pain…

When I heard footsteps rush towards us, I knew that it was time for me to intervene. Cedric noticed my sudden determined expression, his jaw tightened and he nodded once. A loud crash from a tombstone suddenly recaptured my attention, and I had sprung up, into a crouch in less than a second.

"Don't you turn your back on me, Harry Potter!" Voldemort scolded. "I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!"

The Dark Lord stopped what he was doing when a loud, animalistic snarl ripped up my throat. This noise was nothing like the ones I usually made; it was deep, guttural and threatening. It sounded as if it had emerged from deep within the throat of a large wolf. My teeth glistened as my lips pulled back from them in anger, the bright blue of my eyes almost casting a reflection on the grass.

The beady eyes on the cloaked man's disturbing face widened, his mouth twisting. "Impossible." He hissed before he took a step forward. "It seems I underestimated you, child."

I glared at him, leaning forward more, digging my fingers into the dirt as I braced myself on my hands. The harsh snarl continued to roll around in my throat.

"Kill her." He demanded, before turning back to Harry who had emerged from his hiding spot.

"Have it your way…" The boy surrendered.

Voldemort threw the killing curse at Harry as a blocking spell was thrown back in return. The two collided in a bright explosion, almost like a rope; one half green, the other red.

Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, his wand aimed directly at my chest; Cedric's hands were suddenly gripping my waist, his fingers were harsh against my skin, pressing hard. I lurched forward, the same clear bubble expanding from nowhere, enveloping us in a warped dome. Another sickly green light collided with it, wrapping around us in circles, seeking an entrance but finding none. My lips pulled up at the corners, high over my bared teeth.

My eyes flicked to the side just in time to see two hazy domes engulf the dueling wizards. Harry watched as small orbs of light emerged from the conjoined spells, some floated around Voldemort while two orbs in particular made their way towards Harry. I dimly recognized the old man that hovered aimlessly above the ground; his expression grim. It was the old Muggle Caretaker from Harry's dreams. An enraged hiss tore up my throat, replacing the snarl that had cut off in my surprise.

"Harry!" An unfamiliar voice suddenly cried. With my shield still in-tact, I let my eyes flick to my friend who was gazing in shock at two adults that stood by his sides. My eyes widened as I quickly made the connection between the three faces. They were his parents… James and Lily. "When the connection is broken you must get to the Portkey!" I glanced over my shoulder at the glowing cup, now a beacon of hope. "We can linger for a moment to give you some time, but only a moment, do you understand?" His father cried, smiling the tiniest bit as his son nodded. My eyes widened in awe when James suddenly glanced at me and nodded once. 'Thank you,' he mouthed.

Harry's mother, Lily, turned as her husband did; a loving look crossing her dainty face as she took in my bruised and battered form. She smiled warmly before determination set into her features as she turned back to her only child.

"Let go," She instructed. "Sweetheart, you're ready. Let go; let go!"

Harry strained to hold onto his concentration before he flicked his wand upwards, the connection breaking. I stared at him with a panicked expression. "Come on!" I cried, watching now as his parents and the old Muggle Caretaker swarmed around Voldemort, distracting him as promised.

Harry ran straight through my shield, which I had held just incase someone else decided to throw a spell. He rested a hand on my shoulder while Cedric placed a hand on the boys' arm.

"Accio!" Harry cried, his free hand extended so that he could catch the cup which flew towards us at an astonishing speed.

Harry and I shared a quick glance as the cup raced towards its destination. We were still alive.

My body tensed as the ground flew out from under us. The Dark Lord, as well as the danger he possessed, disappeared in an instant; only to be replaced with an eerie silence as we left the graveyard in a flash of light and raced towards sanctuary.

* * *

**BWA: Woo! -Jumps around- They got away!  
Amber: Portkey's make me feel dizzy..  
Cedric: -Smiles- You get used to it.  
BWA: Unfortunately, Amber - you won't be smiling much during the next chapter.  
Amber: Oh, great.. What are you gonna do to me this time?  
BWA: Well.. You just left a graveyard where Dark Magic was being thrown left and right, and you're about to go back to the school, knowing that there's a traitor there.. What do you think is going to happen?  
Amber: Oh, for petes sake.. Again?  
BWA: Yeah. Sorry...  
Amber: -Sighs-  
Emmett: But, come on! You gotta admit, she was at the school one minute and then BANG! She was at the graveyard. And she made a groovy little sheild.  
Amber: Thanks, thanks. -Grins-  
BWA: Yeah, it's cool, huh? I really wanted to show just how strong she's becoming. And she's only had these powers for about a year and a half, just imagine how much stronger she's going to get!  
Harry: ..Should we be scared?  
Amber: Very.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
Cedric: Oh my gosh! A cheese sandwich! -Starts crying-  
BWA: Did you have to put that there, Emmett? You know he's hungry!  
Emmett: -Smirks- Well.. yeah, I did.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Okay, we'll we're gonna head off. As usual, leave us a review and tell me what you thought! I love you all! -Throws confetti-  
Emmett: Come on, I want to see how much chaos we caused while we paused everything.  
Harry: I want to know what happened to the kid with the stick up his nose..  
Random kid: ACHOOOO! .... What the hell?!  
Emmmett: -Laughs-**

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	17. For You I Will

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BWA: This chapter was brought to you today by my sister Liz, who whined in the most adorable way possible for me to update until I gave in.  
Emmett: Woo! Go Liz!  
BWA: -Grins- Anyway, yep - Cedric survived! Who's happy?  
Everyone: -Raises hands-  
BWA: -Giggles-  
Cedric: I got my cheese sandwich!  
Everyone: Woo!  
Harry: Okay, I've got the First Aid kit for Amber, where is she?  
Amber: ...I'm right here.  
Harry: Why aren't you in pain?  
Amber: .. They haven't started reading yet.  
Harry: ..Oh.  
Emmett: ... Can I buy Moldywarts an afro wig?  
Cedric: Who?  
Emmett: Voldemort? You know.. cause he's bald and stuff?  
Voldemort: -Cries- I used to have hair!  
Amber: Emmett.. you farted on him, didn't you?  
Emmett: ..Maybe.  
Voldemort: I don't even have nose-hairs anymore, thanks to him!  
BWA: -Giggles- Okay.. well.. we're gonna go buy Voldie a wig.  
Harry: And some cream for fart induced burns!  
Emmett: See you down below!

**_

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_Chapter seventeen  
For You I Will_

Relief normally came when one was safe from danger, but I was still trembling madly as the three of us crashed to the floor. We weren't safe, not yet. There was something else, waiting, about to strike…

The crowd roared as we slammed into against the grass, Cedric's arms were around me in an instant, he knew that something was wrong. I couldn't hear the band that began to play as I thrashed wildly in his grip, the burn of Dark Magic catching up with me, but it was concentrated… closer than I'd expected. I looked up at Cedric with wide, crazed eyes as I continued to wriggle and writhe, my muscles contracting in painful spasms as the other students watched on.

Harry, who was shivering in shock, got to his knees and stared at me in disbelief, a million questions danced in his eyes, but I was in too much pain to even think of answering any of them. I flinched distantly as Cedric touched his fingers to my cheek; his fingertips were coated with dark red blood when he pulled them away, remnants of an already healing gash on my cheek. I was positive that there were many like it covering my body.

Panic shot across the group of students when a high pitched scream flew from Fleur De Lacour's mouth as she took in my thrashing form in the arms of the Huffelpuff Prefect.

"Professor!" Cedric cried, not looking away from my eyes as the music came to a stop. "What's wrong with her?!" He demanded, his eyes flicking away for an instant as the headmaster kneeled beside the two boys.

Dumbledore stared at me in shock for a few seconds; he knew what my writhing and cries of pain meant. He turned to Harry, knowing he wouldn't get a word from of me at the moment.

"Dumbledore, what's happened?" Fudge demanded before the Headmaster could get a question out.

"He's back!" Harry cried. "He's back! Voldemort's back! Amber… she blocked the killing curse to save Cedric, what's wrong with her?!" He sobbed as he watched my back arch in an unnatural way.

"It's alright, Harry." Dumbledore soothed, "It's alright. She's okay, you've seen this before; not this strong. You're all back, though. That's the main thing."

Cedric's arms squeezed me tighter as a high pitched scream of agony ripped up my throat as I turned my head into his chest. "Make it stop!" I screeched, a strange keening sound tearing past my clenched teeth. "It's hurts too much!" I barely got the sentence out before I screamed again.

"The girl must be moved, Dumbledore!" Fudge hissed. "Too many people."

The burn intensified when Moody bent down to help Harry up off the ground, his eyes watching me warily. "Easy," He growled into Harry's ear as he writhed, trying to get back to me. "Easy! This is not where you want to be right now."

The familiar faces of my friends crowded around me as I twisted and curved, trying to fight of the flames that licked at my bones, charring me from the inside out. It had never been this bad before.

"Amber!" Dumbledore demanded, staring at me intently. "Breathe."

I took a ragged, shaky breath; to my surprise, the burn faded slightly. As the moments passed, it decreased, inch by painful inch.

"Is this the reaction that she has to Dark Magic?" Cedric asked when I went limp in his arms, the pain leaving a strange numbing sensation in its wake as it vanished from my body.

The Headmaster nodded with a grave expression, "Unfortunately, yes… Thanks to the Phoenix, she has a very low tolerance for Dark Magic."

Cedric's breathing hitched slightly before he ducked down to press his lips to the hollow behind my ear. "Are you alright, Amber?" He asked in a whisper. "Has it stopped?"

I kept my teeth clenched tight, just incase the fire came back. My face was pressed against Cedric's chest, my breath coming in short, gasping pants as a few faint shivers rolled down my spine, making my skin tingle in an unpleasant way.

After taking a deep breath, I relaxed my jaw and spoke so quietly that if someone wasn't concentrating, they would have missed it. "Harry," I breathed. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Dumbledore assured me. "He's with Professor Moody."

I shook my head slowly, feeling an uncomfortable stirring in the pit of my stomach; I had a bad feeling about that situation, and that was never a good thing.

"No," I whispered, my eyes opening before they fluttered shut again. "It's not safe…"

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked, anxious now.

"Moody… He's dangerous… not who he says he is." My surprise grew as the words flowed from my mouth. This was all new to me, coming from some building knowledge in the back of my mind. "He'll hurt him."

"Professor Moody is a Hogwarts teacher, he wouldn't knowingly cause harm to a student," Hermione interjected, concerned.

I shook my head again, stronger now. My eyes snapped open, several faces turned wary. I wasn't sure what they were seeing on my face. "It's not Moody, it's… someone else. He wants to hurt him."

"What makes you think that?" Cedric asked, although he already knew the answer. His free hand trailed through my hair, calming me down.

"Bad feeling," I muttered. His hand froze.

"Professor," Cedric began, his tone low and cautious. "The last time Amber had a bad feeling about something, Mr. Crouch turned up dead." The name sent a flicker of recognition through me, almost as if the man, or someone related to him, had something to do with this. "Her intuitions aren't something to be taken lightly. She knows what she's talking about." He explained, pressing his lips to my forehead.

I gasped quietly as an aftershock of the Dark Magic that burnt my insides rolled across my body, my sharp intake of breath turned into a groan of pain as my back arched. I sighed in relief when it went away, lasting no longer than a few seconds.

I craned my neck to look up at Cedric, my lips parted as I prepared to ask a question, but I was cut short by a wave of blue washing over my eyes; I was suddenly in Moody's office… well, Harry was; for some reason, there was something here that he wanted me to see.

His nerves were broken and frazzled, but I could easily identify the undertone of fear and panic. He wasn't able to concentrate long enough for me to get a good grip on his sight, so I could hold it there. But what I saw and heard gave me everything that I needed.

_The quiet sound of clinking glass echoed in the background as Moody shuffled along, seeming to search for something. A small whimper of discomfort sounded before the man's voice floated through the room._

"_Were there others? In the graveyard, were there others?"_

_Harry's shock mirrored my own, although I was more prepared. His heart accelerated when he realized that he wasn't safe here, that there was danger. Now he understood the reason for my panic._

_He worked to keep his tone calm enough to reply. "I… I don't think I said anything about a graveyard, Professor."_

_Silence…_

I lost my weak hold on Harry's sight after that, the exhaustion that threatened to take over my body disappeared as terror replaced it.

A strangled hiss tore up my throat, startling my onlookers. Cedric's arms tightened around me, holding my body close to his. I started to tremble with my anger.

"_Traitor!" _I hissed against Cedric's shirt, my head whipping back and forth in fast, jerky movements.

"What is it?" Cedric asked. "What did you see?"

I was silent for a few moments, the wheels in my head spinning madly as I thought.

Moody knew that someone other than Voldemort was in the graveyard; he also knew that Harry would end up there. It was so painfully obvious that I felt like slapping myself. _He _seemed to always know too much, _he _was never affected by anything caused by Dark Magic. He knew of Voldemort's return…

I screamed brokenly against Cedric's shirt, and he immediately tilted my head back so that I could look at him.

"What's wrong?" He demanded. He hated seeing me in pain.

"I can't believe I didn't see it," I mumbled, detached for half a second before my panic awoke with a vengeance. I turned my head towards Dumbledore and practically shouted my next words at him. "It's not Moody! Harry's in danger! He's going to get hurt! It's Barty Crouch's son!" I cried. "I can't believe I missed it! Go! Before he gets hurt! He's gonna kill him!"

I knew I wasn't making any sense, but that was the best way I was able to explain it before hysteria overwhelmed me. The tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over, stinging the gash on my cheek as the drops of salt water rolled over it.

Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall needed no further encouragement; the three got up and rushed out of the arena. They'd get there in time, that was all that mattered.

"Ced, I think you should take her to the Hospital Wing, she looks pretty beaten up." Fred mumbled, his eyes locked on the bleeding wound on my cheek.

I groaned and shook my head, "I seem to spend a lot of time there after being in contact with Dark Magic."

Cedric chuckled, low and throaty, in my ear. "You really should, love. Just to be safe."

"Fine," I surrendered with a sigh, wincing as Cedric gently scooped me up into his arms as he stood, holding me as close as possible.

Cedric had a quick conversation with his father before we left, yet he never set me down onto my feet. He was still shaken up after going through such an ordeal; I couldn't imagine anyone walking away from something like that without being a little freaked out.

Awkwardness settled over me as our small group turned to leave; Hermione, Ron, Fred and George wandering behind us. My eyes were open long enough to see every pair of wide, bewildered eyes in the small arena trained sharply onto my bruised and bleeding face.

It was the last thing that followed me into unconsciousness.

* * *

Dreaming brought with it a sense of surrealism; as if everything that you thought had happened was immediately thrown into the wind, blurring together with what your mind created. One was safe inside their mind… in my mind… no one could reach me there. I was protected from the horrors and consequences that I was scared of facing when I opened my eyes.

I distantly felt warm fingers touching my face, my arms, and my neck. The touches left a slight sting in their wake before they faded, merely tingling pleasantly. Murmured voices said my name as they conversed, and then a different set of hands would brush over my skin. Lips would brush against my ear, always the same pair, never any different. I was too tired to make the connection of the lips to their owner.

Several people conversed to begin with, their voices frantic; I could only hear their whispers as I teetered on the edge of consciousness, I still couldn't tell if I was dreaming of the voices…

"Is she alright?" A high, feminine voice asked. Hermione…

"Yes," Another female voice, older, a voice that rang with quiet authority. "She's just exhausted. I can't imagine the stress her abilities put on her body."

"This is all my fault…" A quiet voice, lowered with regret, guilt… Harry.

"You can't blame yourself, mate." Another voice. Ron. "She'll pull through."

"Just you wait," Fred's familiar voice began, always joking. "When she wakes up, she'll probably whack you two upside the head."

"Why's that?" Hermione asked.

"Does she need a reason?" George tormented; low laughter rolled across the group.

Shouting came from down the hall, I tried to ignore it, but my senses wouldn't listen to me. I shuddered lightly, and then suddenly, a pair of warm, familiar lips were at my ear.

"Relax, Amber." Cedric crooned, his voice lulling me towards the sleep that I so desperately needed. "He won't hurt you. You're okay."

"Is she awake?" Harry asked, wary.

Cedric was quiet for a moment before he answered. "I don't think so," He muttered, his fingers playing with a lock of my hair. "But she's restless. It's impossible to know if she can hear us or not, being the way she is."

"You really love her, don't you?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"More than my own life." He replied, brushing his lips against my cheek. Even in my exhausted, incoherent state, I leaned into the feel of it.

"It's bad, isn't it…?" Fred muttered. "What happened, I mean."

No one spoke for a while.

"I can't believe how close we came…" Harry whispered. "You could have… I mean…"

George made a small noise before a set of springs squeaked. "What exactly _did _happen at the graveyard?" He asked.

Cedric took a deep breath. "Amber saved my life. I was sure I was a goner; but she appeared out of nowhere, she blocked it."

Hermione gasped quietly. "Without a wand? She managed to do it again?"

It was silent for a moment, and I got the feeling that Cedric nodded. "She must have."

"Bloody hell," Ron breathed. "She's stronger than we thought."

A new voice joined the others as Cedric's lips pressed against my temple, but I wasn't able to hold onto my conscious thoughts anymore. I floated into blissful silence, and to things that made better sense…

When I woke, it was not to the voices that I'd heard earlier… So maybe I had been dreaming after all. My eyelids fluttered before they lifted; low rays of sunlight filtering in through the windows. It was very, very early in the morning. The sun only just beginning to appear over the hills.

Warmth engulfed my right hand, and something squeezed my fingers. I turned my head to see Cedric watching me with cautious eyes; he looked as if he was wondering whether I was really awake. If I was real.

"Cedric?" I breathed.

His face softened in an instant, relief flooding through his breathtaking features. "Oh, thank God." He whispered.

In an instant, he was leaning over me, his lips pressed against mine in an urgent kiss. My free hand grasped at his hair as our lips moved together. We parted when the need for air made itself known, but we didn't move away. Our foreheads stayed together as we gazed into each others eyes, breathing deeply.

"I love you," I whispered, breathless.

He smiled and dropped his head onto my shoulder. "I love you, too." He laughed a little. "You really need to stop scaring me like this, Amber." He chuckled, although I could hear the stress in the sound.

"I'm sorry," I replied, guilty.

He lifted his head to look at me, a small smile on his lips. "It's okay, just don't do it again."

"I promise," I muttered, raising my hand to trace the small circles under his eyes. "How much sleep did you get?"

"Not much," He admitted. "I was too scared to sleep for too long, just incase you woke up."

"Oh," I mumbled, the guilt building. "You didn't need to do that."

He shook his head, his eyes melting my resolve. "Nonsense, Amber. You are the most important thing in my life. I had every right to stay up and wait for you."

I laughed quietly, the sound was strange. I hadn't laughed for a while. "Stubborn."

"Amber…" Cedric began, intense now. "How did you do it?" He asked. "Why did you?"

"I don't know how I did it…" I began, thinking back. "I just had a sudden pain in my heart, and I knew that something was wrong. I… I went to move, to get up – to try and get through, into the maze. Then I found myself in the graveyard. I'll have to ask someone about that." I thought about the rest of my answer. "Moody, or… Mr. Crouch's son, used to practice with me, to help strengthen my abilities. You knew that." He nodded. "Well… I deflected a spell once, and I didn't know if I could do it again. You knew that, too. But… when I saw that curse heading towards us – I acted on instinct. I didn't have to think about it… it seemed… natural to me." It was then that I remembered that he'd asked two questions. "Why did I what?"

His expression stayed neutral, but I noticed a flicker of sadness. "Why did you save my life? Why did you put yourself in so much danger just to save _me?_"

My eyes widened, and the breath that I had just taken whooshed straight back out of my throat. I stared at him in shock for an immeasurable amount of time before annoyance and disbelief swallowed me. "That's a stupid question."

"Answer it, though." He pleaded. "Please?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting against the sudden sadness that filled my eyes with tears. "Did you expect me to let you die?" I asked. "Cedric… I can't live without you… I can't. How - how can you ask something like that? Would you have preferred death rather than to stay with me?" I whimpered, the tears spilling over.

His eyes widened before he leaned down and kissed the tears away as they fell, whispering passionately into my ears, against my lips.

"No, oh God, no. I didn't mean it like that, Amber." He breathed. "I love you more than you know. I almost went crazy in that maze; I can't stand to be away from you. I would do anything and everything to spend eternity with you." He promised me, kissing a stray tear. "I just wanted to know why, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry." He apologized. "Forgive me. I'm so sorry."

I nodded and moved to sit up. Cedric realized what I wanted and helped me get up straight. I swayed a little from sleeping so much. My mind was clear again, but I still felt a little incoherent.

Cedric shook his head, his eyes downcast. "That was a stupid question, wasn't it? I'm sorry I asked."

I smiled a little and lifted his face with my hand. "Don't worry about it; I would have wanted to know the same thing."

My favourite smile flickered across his lips before he leaned in and kissed me breathless. Only parting when I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. We lapsed into a companionable silence after that, just enjoying the time alone. Unconsciously, I raised my hand to my cheek, feeling a fading bruise in the place that had last night been the home of a nasty gash. That must have been what the wandering hands were doing last night.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before Dumbledore walked into the Hospital Wing; his eyes zeroed in on me from over his half-moon glasses. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Miss Dawson." He chimed, relieved to see me awake. "You had us worried."

I ducked my head. "Sorry, Professor."

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

I smiled at the odd sense of déjà vu. "Pretty good, actually." I replied. "How are… things?"

He shrugged. "As good as they can be, considering what happened. Now, I need to know what you saw last night, Amber. I know it might not be pleasant to talk about it, but I have to know."

"I understand, Professor." I mumbled, squeezing Cedric's hand. "I don't know how much I missed when I got there… But, Wormtail was there, and he did some strange incantation before he dropped a mangled body into a cauldron."

"He cut Harry's arm for that, didn't he?" He asked.

I nodded. "How is Harry? Is he okay?"

The Headmaster nodded. "He's fine, worried about you more than anything."

A low sigh passed my lips before I continued. "I had to stay still, to keep the illusion that the curse had worked, and that we really were dead." Cedric and I both flinched at the thought. "Voldemort seemed to be reincarnated from that spell alone; but then he called his followers, the Death Eaters – to the graveyard." I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to continue but I knew I had to. "When he noticed Harry, he tormented him before they dueled. Voldemort was able to be distracted, and then we used to Portkey to get back."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, he knew I'd edited, but he didn't know how much. I didn't want to mention Harry's parents. It wasn't my news to tell; I didn't exactly want to talk about the memory of Harry's cries of pain as the Dark Lord tortured him.

"What you did," He began in a low voice. "Was incredible. To risk your life to save the ones you love – You're a true Gryffindor, Amber. You saved us from a great loss; I'm forever in your debt."

I shook my head, "I don't need any debts to be repaid. Just… be happy. That's the most I can ask of you now."

He nodded, smiling.

I turned to Cedric who was gazing at me with love and awe in his brilliant eyes. He reached up and brushed his fingers down my cheek, smiling as I leaned into his touch.

Even though some of the decisions I'd made last night had been reckless and caused me to almost lose my life. I didn't regret them. The boy in front of me was my whole life, and I had saved him. He was still here, loving me.

I didn't need any more than that.

* * *

**Emmett: Awww.  
BWA: Hee! Yeah - I thought the ending was kinda cute. But guess what?  
Amber: What?  
BWA: The next chapter is the epilogue!  
Everyone: -Gasp-  
Liz: -Whines in the distance-  
BWA: -Giggles- I'll tell you all about the next story in the series next chapter, kay?  
Cedric: How did you go with the wig hunting?  
BWA: Yeah, we did good. Emmett wanted to get a pink shoulder length cut wig. I said no.  
Emmett: -Grumbles-  
BWA: Hey, Emmett - we got the wig and burn cream, we don't need anything else.  
Emmett: -Smiles- Yeah. So.. do you think people are sad that this is almost over?  
BWA: Maybe.. but they have lots to look forward to.  
Amber: Yet another night in hospital..  
Cedric: Hey, come on.. We had another sleepover. It wasn't that bad.  
Amber: -Smiles-  
BWA: Okay, well - I need to get going. As always, leave us a review - you guys seriously make my day, I love hearing from you.  
Emmett: We'll see you soon for the epilogue!  
Everyone: -Waves-  
Liz: -Throws confetti-**

* * *


	18. Epilogue

* * *

**BWA: I totally can't believe this! We did it!  
Amber: Woo!  
BWA: As I usually do, I'm gonna save the mushy stuff for later.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: Well, this is just to tie up some loose ends and to bring a little happiness into the lives of these lovely kiddies.  
Emmett: -Sniffles- This is so emotional.  
Cedric: Awww! -Hugs Emmett-  
Emmett: I love hugs!  
BWA: -Grins- Aren't they adorable?  
Harry: Amber's had a decent amount of sleepovers in the hospital wing this year.  
Hermione: I went to one! They had marshmallows and everything!  
Ron: I like marshmallows.  
Hermione: You like anything edible.  
Amber: -Giggles- I love these kids.  
BWA: -Bounces- Can we let them read now?  
Emmett: Yes!  
BWA: Woo!  
Emmett: Onward!**

**Disclaimer: Yep.. I know what I don't own, and I know what I do own. Dammit, Cedric! Just sign the contract already!**

* * *

**_Chapter Eighteen  
Epilogue_**

The days passed slowly after that, there was a very obvious sense of relief that the Triwizard Tournament had come and gone. But there was still that undeniable fear of the unknown.

Several people watched as I emerged from the Hospital Wing that first day, Cedric by my side the whole way. I was surprised by how many people were worried about me, but Cedric had said that no one had seen the effect that Dark Magic had on me; so of course people were going to be worried.

Harry was still a little stressed, there was still unconcealed awe for the fact that he got to converse with his parents, no matter how short the time limit. He'd seen them; the spell that caused it was called Priori Incantatem. However, he knew that no one can be resurrected once they've passed on…

A few days after I recovered, Dumbledore had called all the students into the Great Hall, where banners of every colour hung over our heads. He told us that the Ministry didn't want anyone to know that Harry, Cedric and I had seen the Dark Lord, and that Harry had been pretty much attacked by him. He said we had a right to know, there was no point in hiding the truth when it had affected one of us so greatly. It was awkward to know that every pair of eyes flicked to my face in that second.

There was one thing that he said that day, and I'm positive that it will stick with me for the rest of my life…

"_While we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one."_

I sighed quietly, and Cedric, who was sitting with me out in the lonely courtyard, glanced down at my face and smiled. I still don't know what I did to end up with someone so loving.

I didn't think a love like ours was possible; it was so strong that it hurt to be separated. I knew I wouldn't want anyone else for the rest of my life, he was everything to me. Every beat of my heart was for him, and he knew it, too.

Everyone was to part ways tomorrow, as the year was ending. Our bags were packed; we were ready to go home. Cedric and I had promised to see each other over the holidays, he was going to come and stay with me for a few weeks, to meet my parents. I had laughed at his expression when I suggested it. He'd seen photos of my parents, and my Dad's hulking muscles had frightened him some. It had taken a bit of work to reassure him that it was okay.

Dad didn't bite.

Lupin had written another letter to me the morning after the Third Task; it was a long one, too. He was surprised with everything that I'd accomplished this year, my strength and control was growing, but there was still more to learn. Of course there was…

Fred and George were back to their joking selves; they even found it in themselves to tease me about my reaction once we'd been free of the maze. They called me soft. I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I recalled the memory.

Hermione and Ron were still the same as ever, bantering whenever the time called for it. Hermione was still trying to figure out how my abilities worked; the girl was only going to give herself a headache. Ron had teased her, saying that even though it was the end of the year, she loved learning so much that she'd keep her nose in a book until someone pushed her out of the castle.

Those were the moments I lived for, the ones that I cherished.

The following day, the corridors were buzzing with life. Everyone was saying goodbye before they departed. It was nice to know that, when we first met the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, there had been unwillingness there, we were all nervous. Now, we were all close, a unit.

After several hours of talking in the Great Hall, we all moved out into the main courtyard. Hugs and addresses were exchanged as friends said goodbye, tears were shed from those who didn't want to leave, and laughter rang loud and true from the telling of a good joke or from a fond memory.

Cedric and I were talking to Fred and George when a soft, delicate hand tapped my shoulder. I turned, only to be met with the beautifully feminine face of Fleur De Lacour.

"Amber," She began, her voice heavily accentuated. "I want to thank you, for everything. For keeping us all safe during these difficult times. You truly are one in a million." She smiled warmly and took my hands in hers. "I hope to see you again, you're a special girl, and I'm lucky to have had the privilege of knowing you."

I smiled in response and squeezed her hands. "Thank you, Fleur, I wish you all the best, in everything that you do."

She said something to the small girl, her sister, Gabrielle, who stood on her toes to kiss my cheek. I smiled again as Fleur pulled me into a gentle hug before she bid her last farewells and went to join her friends.

I had a quick chance to talk to Viktor Krum before he joined his friends as well, he was more than happy to talk to me.

"You have skills that I have never seen before in my life," He explained, his words almost as hard to catch as Fleur's. "I look forward to hearing of your tales."

I laughed, shaking my head as he ruffled my hair. "I'll be sure to catch another of your Quidditch matches, Viktor. You're quite the Seeker."

He shrugged and we laughed. "Take care of Hermione," He mumbled, his cheeks warming. "She's a special girl."

"She is," I agreed. "I promise she'll be fine. I hope to run into you again soon, Viktor. You've been a good friend this year."

"As have you," He agreed, turning to face Cedric who stood beside me. "You're a lucky man, Cedric. Don't ever let her go."

Cedric smiled and tightened his grip on my waist. "Believe me, I won't."

"Take care, you two." He said, before he went to join his friends.

"How are you going with the goodbyes?" Cedric asked as we went to stand with a group of students who were waiting to bid their final farewells.

I thought about it for a moment, "Pretty good, it's nice to know that they will remember me."

"Of course they will," He sighed. "You're unforgettable."

Even though we were in a crowded courtyard, Cedric still ducked his head and pressed his lips to my own. My arms wound around his neck as he lifted me up off the ground and held me to him, ignoring the giggle that burst past my lips before they met his again. My fingers trailed through his hair as he set me back down. His eyes smoldering; the blue-green orbs stunning me into silence before he captured my lips again.

Several wolf-whistles and cheers of approval reached my ears as we broke apart again. Almost everyone was watching us with huge grins on their faces. We all broke into loud laughter, I would miss moments like these.

When the time came for the foreign students to leave, we all lined the sides of a corridor, cheering loudly as they walked down the tunnel that we had made.

The Beauxbatons girls, beautiful as ever, walked down first; they smiled and waved as they walked to their carriage. Fleur and I shared a smile as she passed me.

The Durmstrang boys were next, and Viktor, unable to help himself, ruffled my hair again as he passed by. Earning a peal of laughter from me.

Cedric had gone to talk to his friends as the courtyard began to empty. Harry and I were walking down the now lonely corridor when Ron and Hermione suddenly appeared next to us.

"Do you think we'll ever just have a quiet year at Hogwarts?" Ron asked, smiling.

"No," the three of us replied.

"Nah, I didn't think so." He murmured. "Oh well, what's life without a few Dragons?" He asked, pushing playfully on Harry's shoulder.

"Something has to make school fun," I teased with a giggle.

We began to walk towards the end of the corridor, but stopped when Hermione stayed where she was. We turned to see her smiling still, but a hint of knowledge tugged at her lips.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Harry wandered back to her, placing his hand on her shoulder to capture her attention. "Yes," he answered simply.

She nodded in understanding before walking forward; we followed, side by side. "Promise you'll write this summer, all of you."

"Sure thing," I answered, smiling.

"I won't," Ron muttered, "You know I won't."

Hermione made a small noise before she turned to Harry, latching onto his arm. "Harry will, won't you?" She asked.

Harry looked at us before he spoke, his voice laced with amusement and sarcasm. "Yeah, every week."

We shared a laugh before we came to a stop at the end of the corridor, gazing over the barricade to watch the students depart.

We would stand together, no matter what life threw at us. We would stay strong, united. Side by side.

We had each other; our unbreakable bond would get us through. We were never alone.

And we never would be.

_THE END_

* * *

**BWA: -Squeals- Yay! I'm so proud right now!  
Harry: -Sniffs-  
BWA: Aww.. do you need a tissue?  
Emmett: Got 'em! -Holds out box of tissues-  
Cedric: Thanking you!  
BWA: Most definitely! I want to thank everyone who followed this story, who left a review and laughed at the crazy things that we manage to get up to. You all made this worthwhile. I couldn't have asked for better readers. I love you all to bits. You've gotten me excited to continue this, and I really can't wait to get the next installment up and running.  
Hermione: What's it about?  
BWA: Isn't it obvious?  
Ron: -Scratches head-  
Fred: It's following the fifth movie -  
George: Isn't it?  
BWA: Yup! It most certainly is. It's called "Fearless" and will be up soon! So, put me on Author Alert and keep an eye out, kay?  
Amber: I love you all! -Gives out chocolate-  
BWA: -Giggles- Well.. That's about it from us. Everyone ready to sign out?  
Emmett: Bring it on!  
BWA: Thank you, again. This series wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you guys. You put a smile on my face and lift my spirits with your kind words and silly jokes. Trust me, I laugh like a lunatic.  
Cedric: It's true, she does.  
BWA: Well, we'll see you again real soon, I promise!  
Everyone: We love you! -Throws balloons-  
Amber: Where did these come from?  
Harry: -Shrugs- Does it matter?  
Amber: I guess not.  
BWA: Bye, everyone! I love you!  
Everyone: -Cheers-**

* * *


End file.
